Departmental Pay

John McDonnell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what his Department's policy is on payment of the London Living Wage.

Chris Mole: holding answer 26 October 2009
	The Department for Transport does not have an HR policy on the London living wage as it does not employ staff in roles where pay rates at or close to the London living wage would be appropriate.

Departmental Political Activities

Don Foster: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 21 October 2009,  Official Report, column 1446W, on party conferences, how much Passenger Focus spent sending representatives to attend each of the party political conferences in 2009; and whether prior permission was sought from the Cabinet Office for Passenger Focus to attend.

Chris Mole: In accordance with Cabinet Office guidance, Passenger Focus sought the Department for Transports approval before attending. The cost of attendance is a matter for Passenger Focus itself.

Motorcycles

Lembit �pik: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport for what reasons motorcycles were not included in his Department's research project on the future of urban transport; and if he will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: The report by the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit on Urban Mobility, which the unit undertook jointly with the Department for Transport and other Government Departments, provided a strategic analysis of the impact of all forms of surface transport, including motorcycles, on people that live and work in cities and towns. It concluded that the impacts went well beyond the benefits of mobility and economic consequences of congestion, with poorly planned transport causing significant adverse impacts in terms of air quality, ill health, noise and road accidents.
	The report concluded that a new vision was required to provide greater choice for all travellers and to take better account of the needs not only of those travelling but of residents and businesses. The Department's paper The Future of Urban Transport responds by offering a vision of urban transport that envisages enhanced mobility through a wider choice of journey, reduced congestion, better health and enjoyable urban spaces.

Motorway Service Areas

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Chipping Barnet (Mrs. Villiers), 16 September 2009,  Official Report, column 2279W, on motorway service areas, when he plans to publish the detailed valuation study; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mole: The Highways Agency commissioned an investigation into whether potential exists for the disposal of the remaining 20 Government owned motorway service area (MSA) sites. The resulting report will be published by the end of the year, and copies placed in the Libraries of the House at that time.

Road Signs and Markings

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether his Department has made any recent assessment of the degree to which the meanings of individual road signs are understood by  (a) motorists,  (b) cyclists and  (c) pedestrians.

Sadiq Khan: Familiarity and understanding of traffic signs are an integral part of the theory and practical driving test. The Department for Transport last published research on understanding of traffic signs in March 2004 in a report entitled Increasing Understanding of Traffic Signs. The research considered a limited number of traffic signs and did not provide detailed analysis by road user category.
	A further research project has been agreed to inform the ongoing traffic signs policy review. This will include detailed analysis by road user category. We plan to commission this work later this year.

Road Traffic Control and Immobilisation of Vehicles

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what discussions his Department has had with the  (a) Association of Chief Police Officers,  (b) Metropolitan Police and  (c) Secretary of State for the Home Department on the (i) time taken to clear the scene of motorway incidents and (ii) activities of companies which use wheel-clamping to enforce parking restrictions on private property in the last three years.

Chris Mole: The Highways Agency (HA) and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) have entered into a strategic agreement setting out how they will work together to improve the way road traffic incidents on the Strategic Road Network are managed.
	The HA/ACPO Partnership Board meets three times a year when a number of issues, including incident clear-up times, are discussed. The last meeting was held on 4 August 2009.
	The Secretary of State for Transport met with ACPO recently.
	My right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Transport and my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Gillingham, (Paul Clark) have met with/spoken to Home Office Ministers. Departmental officials are in regular contact with their opposite numbers in the Home Office about the activities of companies that use vehicle immobilisation and/or removal to enforce parking restrictions on private land.

Roads: Finance

Edward Timpson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport 
	(1)  how much his Department  (a) has spent and  (b) plans to spend on the (i) A11 Fiveways to Thetford improvement, (ii) A14 Ellington to Fen Ditton improvement, (iii) A21 South Pembury to Hastings route improvements, (iv) A21 Tonbridge to Pembury dualling scheme and (v) A23 Handcross to Warninglid improvement; and what the total projected cost of each is;
	(2)  how much his Department  (a) has spent and  (b) plans to spend on the (i) A30 Temple to Higher Carblake improvement, (ii) A38 Derby Junctions scheme, (iii) A45/46 Tollbar End improvement scheme, (iv) A57/A628 Mottram in Longdendale, Hollingworth and Tintwistle bypass and (v) M1 junctions 10 to 13 improvements; and what the total projected cost of each is;
	(3)  how much his Department  (a) has spent and  (b) plans to spend on the (i) A5-M1 Link (Dunstable Northern Bypass), (ii) M23 Hooley junction improvement, (iii) A1 Peterborough to Wittering junction improvement, (iv) A453 widening (M1 junction 24 to A52 Nottingham) scheme and (v) Chichester area and A27 transport proposals; and what the total projected cost of each is;
	(4)  how much his Department  (a) has spent and  (b) plans to spend on the (i) M6 Bescot Viaduct and (ii) A419 Covingham and Kingsdown noise fences; and what the total projected cost of each is;
	(5)  how much his Department  (a) has spent and  (b) plans to spend on the (i) A49 Stapleton Crossroads junction improvement scheme, (ii) A5/A444 Red Gate junction improvement, (iii) M5 junction 3 to Newton farm resurfacing scheme, (iv) A11 Ketteringham Station Lane improvements and (v) A1 Tuxford filter drain refurbishment; and what the total projected cost of each is;
	(6)  how much his Department  (a) has spent and  (b) plans to spend on the (i) A20 New Dover Road lay-by improvements, (ii) A56 Haslingden gas pipeline, (iii) A40 Churcham flood relief scheme, (iv) A40 Highnam Woods slope stabilisation scheme and (v) M11 junctions 8 to 9 major maintenance scheme; and what the total projected cost of each is;
	(7)  how much his Department  (a) has spent and  (b) plans to spend on the (i) A1 Cawledge Burn wildlife crossing, (ii) A27 Southerham railway bridge refurbishment, (iii) A45/A452 Stonebridge Island Disability Discrimination Acts compliance work, (v) M4 junctions 18 to 19 central reserve barrier replacement and (v) M5 junctions 15 to 17 central reserve barrier replacement; and what the total projected cost of each is;
	(8)  how much his Department  (a) has spent and  (b) plans to spend on the (i) M5 junctions 18 to 18a Lawrence Weston overbridge replacement, (ii) A1 Colsterworth to Little Ponton gap closures, (iii) M6 hard shoulder strengthening works, (v) A38 Carkeel Roundabout footbridge and (v) M6 junction 7 to Perry Barr southbound resurfacing; and what the total projected cost of each is;
	(9)  how much his Department  (a) has spent and  (b) plans to spend on the (i) M6 junctions 18 to 17 resurfacing works, (ii) A1 Stamford heavy goods vehicles overtaking ban, (iii) M25 junction 24 link overnight safety work, (iv) M5 junctions 25 to 26 Poundisford drainage and resurfacing scheme and (v) A12 Witham major maintenance and improvement scheme; and what the total projected cost of each is;
	(10)  how much his Department  (a) has spent and  (b) plans to spend on the (i) M1 junctions 32 to 35a managed motorway scheme, (ii) A2 Kingston Bridleway bridge, (iii) A483 Pant Embankment stabilisation and carriageway repairs, (v) A13-A1089 safety improvements near Thurrock and (v) A21 Pembury Bypass slip road widening works; and what the total projected cost of each is;
	(11)  how much his Department  (a) has spent and  (b) plans to spend on the (i) A66 Bowes Interchange, (ii) A1/A69 Denton Interchange, (iii) M5 junction 29 east of Exeter improvement, (iv) M62 junctions 25 to 30 managed motorway scheme and (v) A56 lay-by improvements; and what the total projected cost of each is;
	(12)  how much his Department  (a) has spent and  (b) plans to spend on the (i) M25 north viaduct maintenance at junction 28 and the A12 Brook Street interchange, (ii) A160/A180 improvements at Immingham, (iii) A1 East Ancroft to Cat Inn scheme, (iv) A66 Cross Lanes to Lowfields scheme and (v) A66 Southorpe to Hutton Magna scheme; and what the total projected cost of each is;
	(13)  how much his Department  (a) has spent and  (b) plans to spend on the (i) A21 Riverhead Bridge refurbishment, (ii) A1 Newlands Burn otter crossing, (iii) A1 Newton Burn otter crossing, (iv) A1 Oxford to Scremerston scheme and (v) A1 River Aln wildlife crossing; and what the total projected cost of each is;
	(14)  how much his Department  (a) has spent and  (b) plans to spend on the (i) A66 Viewley Hill to Long Newton scheme, (ii) M1 junctions 28 to 31 managed motorways scheme, (iii) M4 junction 19 to 20 and M5 junctions 15 to 17 managed motorways scheme, (iv) M6 Birmingham Box Phase 3 managed motorways scheme and (v) M25 junctions 17 to 10 controlled motorway scheme; and what the total projected cost of each is;
	(15)  how much his Department  (a) has spent and  (b) plans to spend on the (i) A1 Birtley to Eighton Lodge scheme, (ii) A194(M) Whitemare Pool interchange microprocessor optimised vehicle activation scheme, (iii) A184 Whitemare Pool interchange, (iv) A66(M) Darlington Spur scheme and (v) A1 Blaydon to Kenton Bar scheme; and what the total projected cost of each is;
	(16)  how much his Department  (a) has spent and  (b) plans to spend on the (i) A50/A500 Queensway Island road marking works, (ii) A63 Castle Street improvement, (iii) A5111 Raynesway River bridge works, (iv) M60 junctions 15 to 12 lane gain and (v) A14 Kettering Bypass widening; and what the total projected cost of each is;
	(17)  how much his Department  (a) has spent and  (b) plans to spend on the (i) A1 Belford Bypass road renewal, (ii) M62 junctions 35 to 36 major road renewal, (iii) A19/A1058 Coast Road junction improvement, (iv) A180 Croxton to Ulceby scheme and (v) A27 Southwick Tunnel 2009 closures; and what the total projected cost of each is;
	(18)  how much his Department  (a) has spent and  (b) plans to spend on (i) M11 junctions 6 to 8 improvements, (ii) M11 and A120 Stansted Generation 2 airport access, (iii) A556 Knutsford to Bowdon environmental improvement, (iv) A1(M) major maintenance at Sawtry and (v) M6 junction 32 to 33 bridge maintenance; and what the total projected cost of each is;
	(19)  how much his Department  (a) has spent and  (b) plans to spend on the (i) A27 Southerham Bridge works, (ii) M6 junctions 11A to 19 scheme, (iii) M54 to M6/M6 toll link road, (iv) M1 junction 19 scheme and (v) A1/B6387 Twyford Bridge junction improvement; and what the projected cost of each is;
	(20)  how much his Department  (a) has spent and  (b) plans to spend on the (i) M25 junctions 5 to 7 widening, (ii) M20 junction 10A scheme, (iii) A21 Kippings Cross to Lamberhurst improvement, (iv) A1 Elkesley Junctions improvement and (v) A1 Gateshead and Newcastle western bypass; and what the total projected cost of each is;
	(21)  how much his Department  (a) has spent and  (b) plans to spend on the (i) A64 York to Scarborough proposed dualling, (ii) A19/A1067 Seaton Burn junction improvements, (iii) A19 Testos junction improvements, (iv) A47 Acle Straight and (v) M25 junctions 23 to 27 widening; and what the total projected cost of each is.

Chris Mole: A table which gives the estimated costs for the schemes listed above and spend on them as at the end of October 2009 has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
	For major schemes, total project costs are given as range estimates in accordance with the Highways Agencys operating procedures. Start of works and completion dates have been given for the major schemes (where appropriate) which have been used in the assumptions underpinning the range estimates. Range estimates are updated at key stages during the development of a project and will take into account any changes in start or completion dates.
	The non-major schemes are a combination of routine and major maintenance projects, local network management schemes (LNMS) and Fiscal Stimulus projects. Forecasts are point estimates based on best information available and are subject to changes in priorities and affordability.

Wheelchairs

Gary Streeter: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether he plans to review limitations on the size of motors in powered wheelchairs to enable children in hilly areas to use them; and if he will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: There is no statutory limit on the size of motors of powered wheelchairs or mobility scooters (referred to as invalid carriages in legislation). They are limited to specific maximum speeds and to maximum unladen weight limits when in use on the public highway.
	The use of mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs is covered by the Use of Invalid Carriages on Highways Regulations 1988. These regulations divide powered mobility vehicles into two main categories. The Class 2 type can travel at speeds of up to 4 mph and is primarily intended for use on the pavement. The unladen weight should not exceed 113.4 kilograms. The Class 3 type can travel at speeds of up to 8 mph and can be used on both roads and pavements. Class 3 scooters must have the facility to be driven at no more than 4 mph when used on the footpath. The unladen weight should not exceed 150 kilograms. The regulations also subject Class 2 and Class 3 vehicles to requirements concerning their means of stopping. They further specify that in order to use a powered mobility vehicle a person must be suffering from some physical defect or physical disability and that a Class 3 vehicle must not be used by a person under 14 years.

Departmental Home Working

David Simpson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many staff of  (a) her Office and  (b) the Government Olympic Executive have been authorised to work from home in the last 12 months.

Tessa Jowell: My Private Office is based in the Cabinet Office. The Cabinet Office has a home working policy in place as part of its commitment to flexible working.
	The Government Olympic Executive (GOE) is part of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)reporting to me through the permanent secretary. DCMS staff are actively encouraged to work alternative working patterns, including working from home. These are mainly arranged at local line management level and DCMS does not hold comprehensive data centrally about the number of staff involved. DCMS has a new human resources information system in place, and when this is fully operational, it will record this information.

Olympic Games 2012

Jon Cruddas: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what assessment she has made of the legacy for the sport of  (a) shooting at the Royal Artillery Barracks,  (b) badminton at Wembley Arena and  (c) rhythmic gymnastics at Wembley Arena of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Tessa Jowell: Government are working closely with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), with the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) and with the national governing bodies to maximise all possible legacy opportunities for the sports from the games. This will include consideration being given to the relocation of assets and equipment used during the games, including shooting ranges, regardless of the location of the events.
	Using the inspiration of London 2012, Sport England has recently invested £750,000 in the development of grass-roots target shooting as part of the Whole Sports Plans 2009-13. The plan will harness the interest in the sport created by the 2012 games and aims to increase participation levels.
	In December 2008, Sport England awarded £20.8 million, spread over four years, to Badminton England to help more people play the game at school, club and community level as well as at the elite end of the game.
	The Gymnastics England Facilities Fund opened for applications in October 2009. £2.75 million is available for capital projects to develop new gymnastic facilities or to refurbish or improve existing facilities.
	The London borough of Greenwich, which will host the London 2012 shooting venue, has previously announced a £10.2 million investment into a Greenwich 2012 Legacy Fund which will be invested partly in new sports facilities at local schools, parks and playgrounds. Proposals are well advanced to provide a legacy in gymnastics, basket ball, martial arts and an equestrian centre.

Olympic Games 2012: Business

Paul Flynn: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what representations  (a) she,  (b) the current Olympic Executive and  (c) the Olympic Delivery Authority has received from local representatives of devolved administrations and regions on promotion of local businesses via the London 2012 Olympics.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 11 May 2009
	I receive frequent representations via parliamentary questions and correspondence from representatives of the nations and regions on business opportunities associated with the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games. My officials in the Government Olympic Executive support me in this. Additionally, I receive representations through my 2012 visits to the English regions and the devolved Administrations.
	The Government are committed to ensuring businesses across the UK benefit from the Olympics. The London 2012 Business Network was established to ensure that businesses from across the UK have access to contracts in London 2012s supply chains, and any support they need to win them.
	Since its creation in 2006, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has run an ongoing programme of visits across the nations and regions on the business benefits of London 2012. It runs a programme of regional visits in partnership with the nine English regions and the three devolved Administrations to raise awareness of current and future business opportunities generated by the ODA construction programme. London 2012 is planning more regional visits for 2010 to continue to engage businesses in the games.
	The ODA has also held various business events and workshops, including events in London for Welsh businesses to be briefed by its procurement team and tier one contractors.
	To source all other representations received by the ODA would incur a disproportionate cost, due to the large volume of engagement they have in this area. In all, London 2012 expects to directly procure £6 billion worth of contracts, generating tens of thousands of supply chain opportunities which are benefiting businesses across the UK.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many staff in his Department were employed on the management of freedom of information requests submitted to his Department in each year since 2005; and how much his Department spent on the management of such requests in each such year.

Ann McKechin: Since 2005, the management of freedom of information requests submitted to the Scotland Office is undertaken by staff in conjunction with their other duties. As such, a precise breakdown of staff or costs is not available.
	The Office has seen a year on year increase in the number of freedom of information requests since 2007, with 2009 already showing a 48 per cent. increase on requests submitted in 2008.
	An assessment of the cost of freedom of information within Government can be found in Frontier Economics 2006 report Independent Review of the Freedom of Information Act. A copy of this report is available in the House of Commons Library.

Crimes of Violence

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  how many offences of  (a) murder,  (b) manslaughter,  (c) grievous bodily harm and  (d) rape committed in Northern Ireland in each year since 2005 (i) were classified as cleared, (ii) resulted in a conviction and (iii) are still being investigated;
	(2)  how many people in Northern Ireland were convicted of  (a) murder,  (b) manslaughter,  (c) grievous bodily harm and  (d) rape in each year since 2005.

Paul Goggins: Table 1 gives the number of murder, manslaughter, grievous bodily harm/wounding (including those with intent) and rape offences that were recorded and cleared for the years 2005 to 2008. Table 2 documents the number convicted of the offences requested for the years 2005 and 2006 (the latest year for which figures are available). Convictions for these offences also include attempts.
	It is not possible to reconcile PSNI data on the number of offences recorded and cleared directly with conviction data, as the former are offence-based whereas conviction data are offender-based. In addition, PSNI data denote the offence as it has been initially recorded and this may differ from the offence for which a suspect (or suspects) is subsequently proceeded against.
	With regard to the number still being investigated, the data requested are not stored in an easily retrievable format. As such an accurate response would require a resource intensive manual trawl which could be conducted only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of offences recorded and clearedmurder, manslaughter, grievous bodily harm/wounding and rape 2005-08 
			2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Murder Recorded 26 27 26 20 
			  Of those recorded the number since cleared(2) 17 22 14 15 
			   
			 Manslaughter Recorded 3 3 3 4 
			  Of those recorded the number since cleared(2) 0 2 2 3 
			   
			 Grievous bodily harm/wounding(1,) Recorded 1,120 1,238 1,189 1,647 
			  Of those recorded the number since cleared(2) 446 442 388 545 
			   
			 Rape(1) Recorded 383 475 422 396 
			  Of those recorded the number since cleared(2) 152 82 69 77 
			 (1) Includes attempts. (2) Clearance figures are subject to revision as non-cleared offences may be under ongoing investigation and may still be cleared. (3) Figures for grievous bodily harm/wounding include the offences grievous bodily harm with intent and wounding with intent.  Source: PSNI 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number convicted( 1) murder, manslaughter, grievous bodily harm/wounding and rape 2005 and 2006 
			  Offence  2005  2006 
			 Murder 14 11 
			 Manslaughter 11 17 
			 Grievous bodily harm/wounding(2) 152 180 
			 Rape 8 11 
			 Total 185 219 
			 (1) Convictions for the above offences include attempts. (2) Grievous bodily harm/wounding includes the offences grievous bodily harm with intent and wounding with Intent.  Note: Conviction data are collated on the principal offence rule; so only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.  Source: NIO

Dignity at Work

Bob Neill: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality if she will place a copy of her Offices Dignity at Work strategy in the Library.

Michael Jabez Foster: I have placed a copy of the Government Equalities Offices Dignity and Respect at Work Policy in the Libraries of the House.

Equality and Human Rights Commission

Bob Neill: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what assessment has been made of the  (a) effectiveness and  (b) value for money of the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Maria Eagle: The financial position and performance of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is regularly monitored by the Government Equalities Office (GEO). There are monthly financial reports to the GEO Board and Ministers hold regular review meetings with the EHRCs accounting officer and chair of the Commission.
	The GEO has pushed for savings and improved efficiency from the Commission. The Commissions budget has been reduced by 10 per cent. in light of these reviews and the Commission is looking further at efficiency in its value for money plan.

Rape: Victim Support Schemes

Mark Oaten: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what services for rape and sexual abuse counselling there are in Winchester; how much funding has been allocated to refuge and rape crisis centres in Winchester  (a) in the last 12 months and  (b) for 2009-10; and how many women have been turned away from such centres in Winchester because of the no recourse to public funds rule in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: holding answer 10 November 2009
	 The Government do not collect information centrally on what services are available for victims of rape and sexual abuse. The provision of services to victims of rape and sexual abuse is a local issue; local decision makers are best placed to assess local needs. The majority of services are delivered through local providers who are supported and funded by local bodies, such as local councils and health organisations.
	The Government have invested around £11 million over the last five years in specialist services for victims of sexual violence; this is in addition to funding provided locally. Most of this funding has come from the Victims Fund.

Refuges: Domestic Violence

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many refuges for victims of domestic violence have been opened in the last five years for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: The Government do not collect information centrally on the number of womens refuges in England or the provision of staff within refuges.
	The provision of services to victims of domestic violence is an issue for local authorities; decision makers in these authorities are best placed to assess the needs of their area. The majority of services are delivered through local providers who are supported and funded by local bodies, such as councils and health organisations.
	On 19 March 2009 the Government Equalities Office announced a cross-Government £1.6 million special fund for the sexual violence voluntary sector which will keep open much-needed services to victims of rape and sexual abuse. In addition, the Government Equalities Office is providing £220,000 to the two umbrella bodies, Rape Crisis England and Wales and The Survivors Trust to help member groups build capacity.
	The Ministry of Justice is investing £15.6 million over two years to help divert vulnerable women, who are not serious or dangerous offenders, from custody. The Ministry of Justice is investing in existing third sector organisations to enable them to work with courts, police and probation and other agencies to provide support and services to vulnerable women in the criminal justice system.

Public Consultation: Legislation

Francis Maude: To ask the Leader of the House what steps will be taken to consult the public on the Draft Legislative Programme 2009-10.

Barbara Keeley: The Draft Legislative Programme was published for consultation in June 2009 as part of Building Britains Future and the consultation process was completed on 21 September. The public were invited to submit comments in writing and Ministers hosted events around the UK to seek peoples views and answer questions. The Government have considered all of these comments and responses and a full summary and response to the Draft Legislative Programme consultation will be published alongside the Queens Speech on 18 November.

Parliamentary Press Gallery: Catering

Lembit �pik: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission 
	(1)  how much public subsidy has been paid in respect of meals provided in the Press Gallery cafeteria since 2004;
	(2)  what the notional value was of the facilities used by newspaper journalists in the House of Commons in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(3)  whether newspapers make payments for the use of facilities provided to them in the House of Commons; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The information requested is as follows:
	(a) The Press Gallery Cafeteria closed in May 2007 and the replacement, Moncrieffs Cafeteria which opened in October 2007, is open to all pass holders. The House does not provide a subsidy for individual eateries and bars although in common with all others, Moncrieffs benefits from the House funding arrangements. In 2008-09 the overall net cost incurred by the Catering and Retail Directorate in the Department of Facilities was some £6.1 million, in accordance with the budget approved by the Finance and Services Committee. This represents the difference between income and the cost of the services provided. Food and drink pricing is agreed by the Finance and Services Committee, with advice from the Administration Committee.
	(b) There is no equivalent rental value for the facilities occupied by newspaper journalists as the Palace of Westminster is unique and held as freehold.
	(c) No payment is made for the use of Press Gallery facilities.

Departmental Postal Services

Lee Scott: To ask the Solicitor-General what percentage of postal services provided to the Law Officers' Departments were provided by  (a) Royal Mail and  (b) other postal service providers (i) in 2007, (ii) in 2008, (iii) between 1 January and 1 July 2009 and (iv) since 1 July 2009.

Vera Baird: The following tables show the percentage of postal services provided to the Law Officers' Departments by Royal Mail and other service providers in (i) 2007, (ii) 2008, (iii) between 1 January and 1 July 2009 and (iv) since 1 July 2009.
	
		
			  Percentage of postal services provided to the Law Officers Depart ments  by Royal Mail and other service providers 
			  2007 
			   Crown Prosecution Service  Serious Fraud Office  Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office( 1)  Trea sury Solicitors' Department( 2,3) 
			 Royal Mail 34.90 1.60   
			 Other providers 65.10 98.40   
		
	
	
		
			  2008 
			   Crown Prosecution Service  Serious Fraud Office  Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office  Treasury Solicitors' Department( 2,3) 
			 Royal Mail 34.00 3.48 44.00  
			 Other providers 66.00 96.52 56.00  
		
	
	
		
			  2009 (1 January to 1 July) 
			   Crown Prosecution Service  Serious Fraud Office  Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office  Treasury Solicitors' Department( 2,3) 
			 Royal Mail 36.60 3.44 25.00  
			 Other providers 63.40 96.56 75.00  
		
	
	
		
			  2009 (since 1 July) 
			   Crown Prosecution Service  Serious Fraud Office( 4)  Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office( 5)  Treasury Solicitors' Department( 2,3) 
			 Royal Mail 23.40 100   
			 Other providers 76.60    
			 (1)( )In 2007, all postal and courier services were provided to the Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office (RCPO) through contracts which were initiated and maintained by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), formerly HM Customs and Excise. Includes Attorney General's Office (AGO) and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI). (2) he Treasury Solicitor's Department has a number of providers of postal services, including the Royal Mail. It is not, however, possible to provide a breakdown of the sort requested within the disproportionate cost threshold. (3)( )Since July 2009, RCPO's Manchester office has started to use DX for an increasing percentage of its postal services, currently estimated to increase the overall percentage of RCPO non-Royal Mail postal services by no more than 5 per cent. (4)( )The Serious Fraud Office is not in receipt of invoices from other postal service providers for the period since 1 July 2009 and therefore financial records currently attribute 100 per cent. of expenditure for postal services to Royal Mail. (5)( )The National Fraud Authority (NFA), formerly the National Fraud Strategic Authority (NFSA) was established in 2008 as an executive agency of the Attorney-General's Office (AGO). NFA has not held any contracts with postal service providers, including Royal Mail, for the years 2008 and 2009 (1 January 2009 to present). Prior to the NFA's change of accommodation from 26-28 Old Queen Street, SW1H 9HP to 200 Gray's Inn Road, WC1A 9BP in July 2009, it made use of Her Majesty's Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate's postal arrangements (accounted for above as part of overall information for the Treasury Solicitor's Department). Since its relocation the NFA has made use of the arrangements put in place by the Serious Fraud Office.  Note: Each of the Law Officers Departments has separate arrangements for the procurement of postal services.

Departmental Postal Services

David Davies: To ask the Solicitor-General with which providers the Law Officers' Departments held contracts to provide postal services  (a) in 2007,  (b) in 2008,  (c) between 1 January 2009 and 1 July 2009 and  (d) after 1 July 2009.

Vera Baird: Details of the providers with which the Law Officers' Departments held contracts to provide postal services in each of the periods  (a) in 2007,  (b) in 2008,  (c) between 1 January 2009 and 1 July 2009 and  (d) after 1 July 2009, are provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Contracts with postal service providers 
			   Crown Prosecution Service  Serious Fraud Office  Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office( 1)  Treasury Solicitor's Department( 2) 
			 2007 DX DX see note below DHL 
			  Royal Mail Royal Mail  DX 
			 2008 DX DX DX DHL 
			  Royal Mail Royal Mail Royal Mail DX 
			 1 January to 1 July 2009 DX DX DX DHL 
			  Royal Mail Royal Mail Royal Mail DX 
			 Since 1 July 2009 DX DX DX DHL 
			  Royal Mail Royal Mail Royal Mail DX 
			 (1) In 2007. all postal and courier services were provided to the Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office (RCPO) through contracts which were initiated and maintained by MM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). formerly HM Customs and Excise. New contracts were set up by RCPO in April 2008 with Document Exchange (DX) and the Royal Mail and continue to date. (2) Includes Attorney General's Office (AGO) and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI). For the periods in question, TSol (including AGO and HMCPSI) has held formal contracts with DHL and DX Network Services, as well as with Pitney Bowes for the maintenance and re-charging of franking machines for franked mail which is delivered by Royal Mail. In addition to the contracted services listed, the Treasury Solicitor's Department (including AGO and HMCPSI) has, for the periods listed, utilised services provided by Royal Mail and the InterDelivery Service of the Government Car and Despatch Agency.  Notes: 1. Each of the Law Officers Departments has separate arrangements for the procurement of postal services. 2. The National Fraud Authority (NFA), formerly the National Fraud Strategic Authority (NFSA), was established in 2008 as an executive agency of the Attorney General's Office (AGO). NFA has not held any contracts with postal service providers, including Royal Mail, for the years 2008 and 2009 (1 January 2009 to present). Prior to the NFA's change of accommodation from 26-28 Old Queen Street, SW1H 9HP to 200 Gray's Inn Road, WC1A 9BP in July 2009, it made use of Her Majesty's Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate's postal arrangements (accounted for above as part of overall information for the Treasury Solicitor's Department). Since its re-location the NFA has made use of the arrangements put in place by the Serious Fraud Office.

Economy

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues and Welsh Assembly Government Ministers on the state of the Welsh economy.

Peter Hain: Regular Ones.
	Together, we have taken action to tackle the global economic crisis.

Cross-border Health Services

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on the numbers of patients resident in Wales who used acute hospital services in Shropshire in 2008.

Wayne David: While there is no official definition of acute hospital services, according to Shropshire County PCT, 17,837 patients resident in Wales had a period of hospital care under one consultant in Shropshire in 2008-09. I understand that Telford and Wrekin PCT, Shropshire County PCT, and Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust carried out a review of the configuration of health services in Shropshire, and that proposals for the future are still being considered.

Ministerial Responsibilities

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales with reference to the list of Cabinet Ministers in the Cabinet Office publication List of Ministerial Responsibilities, what assessment he has made of the contribution of his Department to the achievement of the Governments overall objectives.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office continues to make a significant contribution to the Governments objectives, in particular the process of devolution, and the Wales Office is facing its busiest time ever. For example, we have continued to increase the legislative competence of the Welsh Assembly Government, which has gained new powers in 45 areas since GOWA 2006. We have also worked in partnership with the Welsh Assembly Government in response to the downturn, co-hosting the All Wales Economic summits, making sure that Wales benefited from schemes such as the Strategic Investment Fund and Future Jobs Fund; and we have led on brokering the new cross-border health protocol which will improve health services for those on both sides of the border.
	There is much more to tell and for the full picture I would recommend that you read our departmental annual report.

Broadcasting

Kim Howells: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the future of broadcasting in Wales.

Peter Hain: I have discussed this matter with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and he agrees with me that Wales needs a strong, vibrant, independent, high quality news service, besides BBC. The Digital Britain White Paper outlined the Governments proposals for a pilot scheme for news in the nations and regions, and Wales is one of the pilot areas. This shows the Governments commitment to securing a plurality of news provider and viewer choice, which is fundamental to the quality of democracy and accountability of Welsh Assembly Government to electorate in Wales.
	Wales has vibrant media both on television and via the internet through local print newspapers, and I want this not only to continue but grow and believe Independently Funded News Consortia can help this. An ideal partnership would involve news delivery on ITV Wales and through other innovative electronic delivery outputs as provided on web by Welsh printed media. I understand that my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport will shortly be announcing the process and timetable for implementing the IFNCs and I look forward to this news.

Shoplifting

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on measures to reduce the incidence of shoplifting in Wales.

Peter Hain: The Government take shoplifting very seriously. That is why we recently introduced the Home Office driven £5 million Small Retailers Capital Fund for both England and Wales.
	It was unveiled on 6 August 2009 and identified 4 priority areas in WalesMerthyr Tydfil, Swansea, Blaenau Gwent and Rhondda Cynon and Taf. The fund provides grants of up to £3,000 for small retailers to:
	Support work to reduce the risk and occurrence of crime against smaller retailers in priority areas
	Strengthen local retail partnerships to work collectively to reduce crime and disorder
	Identify and create effective means to tackle crime against small retailers.
	Partnership grants of up to £50,000 are also available under the following themes:
	 Theme 1
	Work that reduces the risk and occurrence of crime such as antisocial behaviour, shoplifting, fraud, criminal damage, robbery, burglary, hate crime and violent crime through the installation of equipment within shop(s)/ retail outlet(s).
	 Theme 2
	Work that adds value to existing crime/antisocial behaviour prevention and reduction schemes to improve local shopping districts.
	 Theme 3
	External work that is visible, provides reassurance and builds confidence that shops and shopping areas are safe.
	 Theme 4
	Equipment that helps small business work collectively and in partnership with the police and other statutory agencies such as local authorities and fire and rescue authorities.
	 Theme 5
	Work that supports particularly vulnerable retailers including those in rural and minority communities where crime is a particular problem.

Government Art Collection: Lost Property

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent attempts his Department has made to reclaim works of art lost from the Government art collection.

Margaret Hodge: The Government Art Collection is currently involved in two legal claims on works of art previously registered as lost from its holdings. These are subject to ongoing legal processes and negotiations, which would be prejudiced (and possibly aborted altogether) by the disclosure of any further details at this stage.

Olympic Games 2012: Gun Sports

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has for the legacy for pistol shooting of the London 2012 Olympic games.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 2 November 200 9
	I have been asked to reply.
	Possessing a pistol is illegal in the UK under the Firearms Act, therefore, no legacy specifically for pistol shooting is being planned. However, the 2012 games will provide the opportunity to showcase shooting as a sport more widely, in an iconic London location and provide a legacy for other shooting disciplines.
	After the London games, there is the potential to relocate temporary ranges and assets from the shooting venue at Woolwich. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic games and Paralympic games, the Olympic Delivery Authority and Government are working with British Shooting to deliver the best possible legacy for the sport.
	Through using the inspiration of London 2012 Sport England has recently invested £750,000 in the development of grassroots target shooting as part of the Whole Sports Plans 2009-13. The plan will harness the interest in the sport created by the 2012 games and aims to increase participation levels.

Television: Licensing

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many convictions there have been of Bassetlaw residents for non-payment of a television licence in the last five years.

Claire Ward: I have been asked to reply.
	Information showing the number of persons found guilty at all courts for television licence evasion in the Nottinghamshire police force area from 2003 to 2007 (latest available) is shown in the following table. Information is not available at constituency level nor can the Ministry of Justice separately provide data for Bassetlaw residents; therefore police force area level data have been provided in lieu.
	Data for 2008 are planned for publication on 28 January 2010.
	
		
			  Number of defendants found guilty at all courts for television licence evasion, Nottinghamshire police force area, 2003 - 07( 1, 2) 
			   Number 
			 2003 2,416 
			 2004 2,146 
			 2005 2,025 
			 2006 3,621 
			 2007 4,266 
			 (1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source:  Justice Statistics Analytical ServicesMinistry of Justice.

World Heritage Sites

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what visits in an official capacity  (a) he and  (b) his predecessor made to each UK world heritage site in the last 12 months.

Margaret Hodge: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State will be visiting UK Heritage Sites as part of a series of regional visits. His predecessor visited the Tower of London World Heritage Site in November last year.
	May I remind the hon. Member for Romford, that the House of Commons itself is part of the Palace of Westminster, St Margaret's Church and Westminster Abbey World Heritage Site, one of the United Kingdom's 28 World Heritage Sites.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff in his Department were employed on the management of freedom of information requests submitted to his Department in each year since 2005; and how much his Department spent on the management of such requests in each such year.

Dan Norris: The Department has a small team providing advice, guidance and training to members of staff who respond to requests for information. Some members of the team also spend part of their time advising on other legislation, such as the Data Protection Act (DPA) and the environmental information regulations (EIRs). In particular, the environmental information unit within the team provides guidance to members of the public and other public authorities. The team is flexible in how it handles its day-to-day work load across all its information rights duties, and the percentages of time spent on the various functions can vary considerably over time. The approximate staffing levels in full-time equivalents are therefore as follows:
	
		
			   Full-time equivalent 
			 2005-06 12 
			 2006-07 11 
			 2007-08 9 
			 2008-09 6 
		
	
	Because of this flexibility, it is not possible to give a figure that relates only to the management of freedom of information requests. The approximate figures, as follows, cover staff working on FOI, DPA and EIR requests as well as providing guidance to outside bodies and members of the public on the EIRs. These figures include salary, superannuation and ERNIC payments.
	
		
			   £ 
			 2005-06 470,880 
			 2006-07 449,000 
			 2007-08 409,000 
			 2008-09 306,000 
		
	
	An assessment of the cost of freedom of information within Government can be found in the Frontier Economics 2006 report Independent Review of the Freedom of Information Act. A copy of this report is available in the House of Commons Library.

Departmental Political Activities

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 3 November 2009,  Official Report, column 804W, on party conferences, how much each of his Departments non-departmental public bodies spent sending representatives to attend each of the party political conferences.

Dan Norris: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 3 November 2009,  Official Report, column 804W. The actual cost of such attendance is a matter for the non-departmental public bodies concerned and officials have not been able to access the information requested, accurately and consistently for all four bodies, in the time available. I will ask the relevant bodies to write to you with this information.

Marine Management Organisation

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how many Marine and Fisheries Agency staff have asked for a transfer to another department in preference to accepting a position at the new Marine Management Organisation;
	(2)  how many Marine and Fisheries Agency staff have accepted  (a) permanent and  (b) temporary posts in the new Marine Management Organisation.

Huw Irranca-Davies: All staff in the Marine and Fisheries Agency at the time of vesting of the new Marine Management Organisation will automatically transfer to the new organisation under Cabinet Office protocols on transfers in the public sector. The Marine Bill provides that staff in the Marine and Fisheries Agency at the time of vesting of the Marine Management Organisation who choose not to transfer to it are deemed to have resigned.
	We are not aware of any staff in the Marine and Fisheries Agency who have requested a transfer to another Department because their post is being transferred to the Marine Management Organisation.
	The Marine and Fisheries Agency headquarters is relocating to Newcastle and will become the new Marine Management Organisation headquarters. 11 staff are relocating. 67 staff have chosen not to relocate and have access to posts in core DEFRA or can apply for advertised vacancies in other Departments.

Afghanistan: Armed Forces

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which units down to company level have been deployed to Afghanistan  (a) once,  (b) twice,  (c) three and  (d) four or more times since October 2001.

Bill Rammell: The following table shows which units at Company level have deployed once, twice, three and four times to Afghanistan since October 2001.
	
		
			  Regular unit name  Number of battalion deployments  Number of 3  C oy deployments  Number of 2  C oy deployments  Number of 1  C oy deployments 
			 40 Commando Royal Marines 1    
			 42 Commando Royal Marines 2    
			 45 Commando Royal Marines 3    
			 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards 3    
			 1st Battalion, The Coldstream Guards 1    
			 1st Battalion, The Welsh Guards 1    
			 1st Battalion, The Royal Scots Borderers, The Royal Regiment of Scotland    1 
			 The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland 1    
			 The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland 1    
			 The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland 1    
			 The Princess of Waless Royal Regiment    3 
			 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers 1   2 
			 1st Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment 1 1   
			 2nd Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment 1    
			 2nd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment (formerly Green Howards) 3    
			 2nd Battalion, The Mercian Regiment (Worcesters and Foresters)  3   
			 1st Battalion, The Royal Welsh (Royal Welch Fusiliers) 2   2 
			 2nd Battalion, The Royal Welsh    2 
			 1st Battalion, The Royal Irish Regiment 1    
			 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment 1    
			 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment 2    
			 1st Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles 1    
			 2nd Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles 2   1 
			 1st Battalion, The Rifles, (formerly known as The Royal Gloucestershire Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry) 2    
			 2nd Battalion, The Rifles 1    
			 3rd Battalion, The Rifles 1    
			 4th Battalion, The Rifles   1 1 
		
	
	The apparent unevenness in the distribution of deployments between the various units shown reflect the narrow parameters of the question. Over the period that the answer covers, the Army have been committed on operations in not only Afghanistan and Iraq, but also have deployed in the Balkans, Northern Ireland, Cyprus and the Falkland Islands. When determining which units to allocate to operations, a number of considerations apply, not least the particular capability they offer. For example, those units which have deployed to Afghanistan will predominantly be those that operate in a light role.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the diet provided to troops on active service in Afghanistan.

Bill Rammell: The Institute of Naval Medicine is currently assessing end of deployment data on the diet experienced by personnel who were deployed to forward operating bases and patrol bases in Afghanistan.
	This data collection is one element of the surgeon generals armed forces feeding project to provide an evidence base in support of UK armed forces feeding in training, in unit and during overseas operations.

Armed Forces: Cadets

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the letter from the Prime Minister to the then Secretary of State of 11 March 2008, reference MSU/10/7/2 serial number 1421/2007, on expansion of the cadet force.

Kevan Jones: holding answer 28 October 2009
	I am withholding the information requested as its release may prejudice the development of Government policy. However, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 4 November 2009,  Official Report, columns 987-88W.

Armed Forces: Deployment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what deployments have been made by each battalion of the infantry since 1997; and what the intervals were between each tour.

Bill Rammell: Historical data to support the calculation of the average tour interval for each battalion or regiment of the Infantry since 1997 is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
	The following table shows the last operational Tour Interval for each Infantry unit as at 1 November 2009, based on the unit's last two operational tours to Iraq, Afghanistan, the Balkans, Northern Ireland or Cyprus.
	
		
			   Latest Information  Previous Information 
			  Unit deployed/Infantry  End  d ate  Last operational deployment (as a unit)  Start date  Previous operational deployment (as a unit)  End date  Last unit tour interval (months) 
			 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards  Afghanistan October 2009 Afghanistan October 2007 24 
			 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards  Afghanistan October 2009 Afghanistan October 2007 24 
			 1st Battalion Scots Guards May 2007 Iraq December 2007 Iraq April 2005 31 
			 1st Battalion Irish Guards November 2007 Iraq June 2007 Northern Ireland March 2004 38 
			 1st Battalion Welsh Guards October 2009 Afghanistan April 2009 Balkans April 2007 24 
			 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland(1) May 2008 Iraq December 2007 Iraq May 2006 17 
			 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland September 2008 Afghanistan April 2008 Iraq December 2005 28 
			 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland October 2009 Afghanistan April 2009 Iraq January 2005 51 
			 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland November 2008 Iraq June 2008 Iraq May 2006 25 
			 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland September 2008 Afghanistan April 2008 Balkans October 2005 29 
			 1st Battalion The Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment May 2009 Iraq December 2008 Iraq December 2006 24 
			 2nd Battalion The Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment June 2005 Iraq January 2005 Northern Ireland December 2003 12 
			 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers November 2008 Iraq June 2008 Iraq May 2006 25 
			 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers October 2009 Afghanistan April 2009 Northern Ireland November 2003 64 
			 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment October 2007 Afghanistan May 2007 Iraq October 2005 18 
			 2nd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment November 2008 Iraq June 2008 Iraq October 2006 20 
			 1st Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment(2) May 2008 Iraq December 2007 n/a   
			 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment(2)  Cyprus (Theatre Reserve Battalion) July 2009 Iraq April 2008 27 
			 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment May 2009 Iraq December 2008 Iraq May 2007 18 
			 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment  Afghanistan October 2009 Afghanistan April 2008 18 
			 3rd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment May 2005 Iraq December 2004   49 
			 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh  Afghanistan October 2009 Cyprus (TRB) April 2007 18 
			 2nd Battalion The Royal Welsh  Afghanistan October 2009 Iraq November 2007 23 
			 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment May 2007 Iraq December 2007 Iraq October 2004 37 
			 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment October 2009 Afghanistan April 2009 Afghanistan November 2007 16 
			 3rd Battalion The Mercian Regiment April 2007 Iraq November 2006 Iraq October 2005 12 
			 1st Battalion The Rifles(3) March 2009 Afghanistan October 2008 Iraq November 2006 23 
			 2nd Battalion The Rifles October 2009 Afghanistan April 2009 Iraq May 2007 23 
			 3rd Battalion The Rifles  Afghanistan October 2009 Iraq February 2007 19 
			 4th Battalion The Rifles November 2007 Iraq June 2007 Balkans October 2001 67 
			 5th Battalion The Rifles May 2009 Iraq December 2008 Iraq December 2006 24 
			 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment September 2008 Afghanistan April 2008 Iraq December 2005 28 
			 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment September 2008 Afghanistan April 2008 Iraq April 2006 24 
			 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment September 2008 Afghanistan April 2008 Afghanistan October 2006 18 
			 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Regiment March 2008 Afghanistan October 2007 Balkans March 2006 18 
			 2nd Battalion The Royal Gurkha Regiment March 2009 Afghanistan October 2008 Afghanistan October 2005 37 
			 (1) 1 RS and 1 KOSB amalgamated to form 1 SCOTS in August 2006. 1 SCOTS deployed for the first time as a formed unit to Iraq in December 2007. (2) 1 KORBR, 1 KINGS and QLR amalgamated in July 2006 to form 1 LANCS and 2 LANCS. Due to the nature of this amalgamation it is not representative to carry forward the unit deployments of 1 KORBR, 1 KINGS and QLR to 1 LANCS and 2 LANCS. (3) 1 RGBW and 1 DDLI amalgamated in March 2007 to form 1 RIFLES. 1 RIFLES has deployed for the first time as a formed unit in October 2008 on Herrick 9.  Note: The deployments listed are by units, defined as a regiment deploying with a regimental headquarters and more than two manoeuvre sub-units for four months or more. 
		
	
	The average Tour Interval is 26 months. The Army's Harmony Guidelines recommend that Army units achieve 24 months between each six-month operational tour. Whilst there are necessary exceptions for certain trades and units, the situation continues to improve and we are generally succeeding in this aim.

Atomic Weapons Establishment

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when an improvement plan to reduce risks at Atomic Weapons Establishment sites will be prepared.

Quentin Davies: Effective risk management underpins all activities at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE), including nuclear operations, technical programmes and construction work. This is undertaken in close consultation with the Ministry of Defence, Regulators and other stakeholders.
	A formal improvement plan does not exist, but continuous improvement is a fundamental part of safety management, and is embedded in all work relating to safety.
	Safety cases have been developed for every nuclear process and activity at AWE sites. These are based on the principle that risks should be As Low As Reasonably Practicable (ALARP). All AWE risks are managed continuously and pro-actively with stakeholders, in accordance with AWE's licence under the Nuclear Installations Act (1965).

Christmas

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Christmas functions arranged by his Department and its agencies  (a) the then Secretary of State,  (b) officials of his Department and  (c) officials of its agencies (i) hosted and (ii) attended in 2008; what the cost to the public purse was; and if he will make a statement.

Kevan Jones: This response covers the Department and its agencies, but excludes trading funds which are outside the MODs departmental boundary for financial reporting purposes.
	Departmental policy is that Christmas functions are not an appropriate use of the Defence budget and therefore any functions should be fully funded from non-public funds such as staff subscriptions. No Christmas functions were arranged at public expense in 2008, but public funding of £838 was incurred in transporting MOD and service personnel to a Defence Equipment and Support Christmas Carol Concert in Bath.
	Information about the attendance at Christmas functions by officials of the Department and its agencies is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Christmas

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies have spent on Christmas (i) cards, (ii) parties and (iii) decorations in the last 12 months.

Kevan Jones: This response covers the Department and its agencies, but excludes Trading Funds which are outside the MOD's departmental boundary for financial reporting purposes.
	MOD expenditure on Christmas cards over the last 12 months has been £305.
	This figure includes printing, purchase and postage, but excludes a small amount spent by Defence Attaches, for permitted representational purposes which is not identifiable and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	There was no public money spent on Christmas parties and decorations.

Departmental Billing

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in  (a) September and  (b) October 2009.

Kevan Jones: Performance figures for September and October 2009, against the Government's agreed 10 day payment target, are provided in the following table:
	
		
			   Percentage of invoices paid within 10 days of receipt 
			 September 2009 97.7 
			 October 2009 98.5 
		
	
	The figures provided represent all invoices processed by the MOD Financial Management Shared Service Centre and the four MOD trading funds; DSTL, Met Office, DSG and UKHO.

Departmental Disclosure of Information

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  which requests for information received by his Department under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in 2008 were  (a) classified as not resolvable and  (b) refused in full;
	(2)  in respect of which requests for information received by his Department in 2008 under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 it has received permission to extend the deadline for a response by more than 40 days; and what the reason for the request for an extension was in each case.

Kevan Jones: In 2008 the Ministry of Defence received some 2,631 requests for information centrally, under the Freedom of Information Act.
	As of 30 January 2009, 258 cases were closed in which the information requested was withheld in full. A further 315 cases were closed and classed as not resolvable.
	As at the same date, 49 cases required more than 40 days on top of the statutory 20 working day period and have now been closed. As of 30 January 2009, a further 69 cases remained open in which the statutory 20 working day period and a further 40 working days had passed.
	The exact text of each of the 791 requests in the categories listed above, and the detailed reasons for each extension, could be provided at only disproportionate cost. However, I will write to the hon. Member to provide a short summary of each request for information received in 2008 that was classified as not resolvable or withheld in full, and list any exemptions that applied. I will also set out simplified reasons for those that have required more than 40 working days on top of the statutory 20 working day period.
	 Substantive answer from  Mr.  Kevan Jones to  Dan Rogerson:
	I promised to write to you to provide more information in response to the written answer I gave you on 20 July, (Official Report, column 882W). I apologise for the time it has taken to reply to you.
	Firstly, I must make a correction to the information provided in the answer to the Parliamentary Questions. My reply included the following statement:
	As of 30 January 2009, 258 cases were closed in which the information requested was withheld in full. A further 315 cases were closed and classed as not resolvable. As at the same date, 49 cases required more than 40 days on top of the statutory 20 working day period and have now been closed. As of 30 January 2009, a further 69 cases remained open in which the statutory 20 working day period and a further 40 working days had passed.
	The exact text of each of the 791 requests in the categories listed above, and the detailed reasons for each extension, could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
	The total of 791 requests given in the answer is incorrect. The total number of cases in the categories listed is 691. This was a typographical error, for which I apologise.
	In my response to the question, I promised to provide you with a short summary of each request for information received in 2008 that was classified as not resolvable or withheld in full, and list any exemptions that applied. I will place in the Library of the House a spreadsheet showing a brief summary of the 573 requests, but it has proved impossible to list the exemptions that applied or provide a more detailed summary for all these cases as this could only be provided at disproportionate cost. This is because each record has to be individually retrieved from our management system and the information extracted. However, it has proved possible to provide the full information for 202 cases within the cost limit and this information is given within the spreadsheet.
	I also agreed to set out simplified reasons for those that have required more than 40 working days on top of the statutory 20 working day period. Unfortunately, it has not been possible to identify reasons for each individual case. There are many reasons why a response might be delayed. These include, for example, difficulties identifying the appropriate part of the Department to respond, difficulties identifying the relevant information, complex discussions about whether information can be released, resource constraints and consultation of third parties including other Government Departments, commercial partners and foreign governments.

Puma Helicopters

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment has been made of the probability of Puma helicopter aircrew surviving crashes of differing severity; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: We routinely assess the safety of our aircraft to ensure that the equipment remains safe to operate and that the risks to personnel are reduced to as low as reasonably practicable, as is required of us under the Health and Safety at Work Act. As a result we have introduced a number of modifications to the Puma aircraft to enhance its safety through-life, and are planning further enhancements as part of life extension programme for the aircraft which we contacted with Eurocopter on 18 September 2009.

Territorial Army

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Territorial Army personnel of each rank there were in each year since 1997.

Bill Rammell: The available data are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Territorial Army strength by paid rank: 1997 to 2009 
			  Date  All TA personnel  All TA officers  Brigadier  Colonel  Lt. Colonel  Major  Captain  Lieutenant  Second Lieutenant 
			 April 1997 57,620 6,560 (1) 70 270 1,990 2,710 960 560 
			 April 1998 57,600 6,780 (1) 70 300 2,090 2,780 930 600 
			 April 1999 52,210 6,590 (1) 70 300 2,060 2,680 860 610 
			 April 2000 45,480 6,200 (1) 70 300 1,940 2,460 860 570 
			 April 2001 41,720 5,780 (1) 80 280 1,790 2,250 840 540 
			 April 2002 40,660 5,800 (1) 80 270 1,770 2,220 880 560 
			 April 2003 39,330 5,770 (1) 80 290 1,640 2,160 880 710 
			 April 2004 38,120 5,900 (1) 80 320 1,680 2,240 840 730 
			 April 2005 37,260 5,760 (1) 90 320 1,740 2,160 770 680 
			 April 2006 38,460 5,580 10 90 340 1,680 2,110 810 560 
			 March 2007 36,790 5,320 10 90 340 1,700 2,030 720 430 
			 October 2008 (2)34,330 (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) 
			 April 2009 (2)35,320 (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) 
			 September 2009 (2)34,380 (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) 
		
	
	
		
			  Date  All TA other ranks  WO1  WO2  Staff Sergeant  Sergeant  Corporal  Lance Corporal  Private 
			 April 1997 51,060 170 1,530 2,410 4,060 6,380 7,320 29,200 
			 April 1998 50,820 200 1,560 2,410 4,020 6,340 7,210 29,070 
			 April 1999 45,620 200 1,590 2,360 3,950 6,100 6,910 24,510 
			 April 2000 39,280 200 1,520 2,130 3,490 5,410 6,110 20,420 
			 April 2001 35,940 190 1,340 1,840 3,080 4,780 5,380 19,340 
			 April 2002 34,860 190 1,320 1,830 2,910 4,570 4,960 19,080 
			 April 2003 33,570 180 1,300 1,760 2,790 4,180 4,550 18,740 
			 April 2004 32,220 180 1,300 1,720 2,760 3,900 4,400 17,960 
			 April 2005 31,490 210 1,310 1,730 2,670 3,680 4,070 17,820 
			 April 2006 32,880 220 1,340 1,720 2,560 3,480 3,760 19,790 
			 March 2007 31,470 230 1,330 1,690 2,420 3,230 3,450 19,110 
			 October 2008 (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) 
			 April 2009 (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) 
			 September 2009 (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) 
			 (1) = Zero or rounded to zero. (2) = Denotes provisional. (3) = Denotes unavailable.  Notes: TA Personnel include Group A and B, Mobilised TA, OTC and NRPS. FTRS are excluded. April 2003 includes 60 TA soldiers of unknown rank. After April 2007 Territorial Army Officer and Soldier breakdowns are not included due to JPA data validation issues. Figures have been rounded to 10; numbers ending in 5 have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias. 
		
	
	These figures represent the continuation of a process of rebalancing TA strength to the reduced requirement on the Reserves which started as part of the Options for Change process in 1991 when TA strength was 90,068.

Departmental Air Travel

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many first-class flights were taken by each Minister in her Department in 2008-09; and what the  (a) origin, (b) destination and  (c) cost was of each such flight.

Tessa Jowell: Information on Ministers travel overseas is published on an annual basis. The list for 2008-09 can be accessed at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/media/226022/travel_2008_2009.pdf
	and a copy is available in the Libraries of the House.
	Travel by Ministers is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many freedom of information requests under consideration by the Information Commissioner concern information held by her Department; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: This is a matter for the Information Commissioner. However, my hon. Friend may wish to be aware that the Information Commissioners Office has published a list of requests under consideration, as of September 2009, on their website:
	http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/library/freedom_of_information/research_and_reports/foi_and_eir_caseload_snapshot_september_2009.pdf
	A copy of this list has been placed in the Library.

Departmental Work Experience

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much interns in  (a) No. 10 Downing Street and  (b) the Cabinet Office are paid.

Angela Smith: The Prime Ministers Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office. The Cabinet Office pays interns a salary which is commensurate with the grade of the role that the intern is filling.

Disclosure of Information

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 28 October 2009,  Official Report, columns 267-8W, on Operation Miser, if she will place in the Library a copy of her Department's protocol, Handling unauthorised disclosures and national security cases;
	(2)  if she will place in the Library a copy of the Cabinet Office document Guidance on leak investigation policy and procedures.

Tessa Jowell: The guidance document Official Information: standards of conduct and procedures is being prepared and will shortly be sent to Departments. It will incorporate protocols for the investigation of unauthorised disclosures. The guidance will be submitted to the chairman of the Public Administration Select Committee and will be placed in the Library of the House.
	Publishing details of working methods and investigative techniques would compromise the effective conduct of investigations in future.

Electoral Register

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what her most recent estimate is of the number of people eligible to register to vote in  (a) local,  (b) European and  (c) UK Parliamentary elections.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated November 2009:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the most recent estimate is of the number of people eligible to register to vote in (a) local, (b) European and (c) UK Parliamentary elections. (299166)
	ONS publishes the number of people registered to vote in local, European and Parliamentary elections but does not hold data on the number who are eligible to register. The mid-year estimate of the resident population, aged 18 and over, provides an approximation to this although not everybody who is usually resident is entitled to vote. For example, foreign citizens from outside of the EU and Commonwealth are not eligible.
	The definition of the usually resident population is closer to the eligibility criteria for the local and European electorate than to those for the parliamentary electorate because the latter exclude EU citizens and include UK citizens resident abroad.
	The mid-year estimate of the resident population aged 18 and over for the UK, for 2008 is 48,263,000. This is the most recent year for which estimates are available.

Futurebuilders England

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether she plans to renew the Futurebuilders England Limited contract on its expiry.

Angela Smith: The Services Agreement for the Futurebuilders Programme between the Cabinet Office and Futurebuilders England Fund Management Ltd expires on 31 March 2011.
	The Government are not yet in a position to make commitments to programmes which could extend beyond the current spending review period which runs from 2008-09 to 2010-11.

Government Departments: Taxis

Ian Stewart: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what contracts her Department has with private hire taxi companies; and what information her Department holds on such contracts held by other Government departments.

Angela Smith: The Cabinet Office has one contract for the provision of taxi servicesthis is with Addison Lee and it is used for most pre-booked journeys where public transport is deemed unsuitable, for example due to unsociable hours or a lack of available alternatives.
	The Cabinet Office has no information on contracts with private taxi companies held by any other Government Department.

Iraq Committee of Inquiry

William Hague: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many serving Ministers have received requests to give evidence to the Chilcot Inquiry; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: I refer to the right. hon. Gentleman to the answer given to him by the Prime Minister on 19 October 2009,  Official Report, column 1210W.

Ministerial Policy Advisers

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many special advisers in the Government are  (a) members of the Government Communications Network and  (b) primarily involved in the field of communications.

Tessa Jowell: The Code of Conduct for Special Advisers sets out the nature of work a special adviser may do at their Ministers request. This includes media and communication activities.

Non-Governmental Organisations

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what definition of a quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation her Department uses.

Tessa Jowell: This is not a formal term used within Government. The term non-departmental public bodyor NDPBhas been used by successive Governments since 1980 and refers to a body which has a role in the processes of national government, but is not a Government Department, or part of one, they accordingly operate to a greater or lesser extent at arms length from Ministers.

Public Relations

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what concerns the then Cabinet Secretary raised about the appropriateness of Mr Damian McBrides conduct when Mr McBride was a civil servant.

Tessa Jowell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 15 October 2009,  Official Report, columns 1038-39W, to the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb).
	In relation to Mr. McBrides employment as a permanent civil servant it is not the Governments practice to disclose information relating to the employment of individual civil servants which is confidential between the employer and employee.

Animal Welfare

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines his Department operates to ensure that veterinary surgeons do not have conflicts of interest under section 6(5) of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

Meg Hillier: Section 3.19 of the Guidance of the Operation of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (HC321) stipulates that when a named veterinary surgeon (NVS) has under any other statutory role under the terms of the 1986 Act a substantial interest in the scientific outcome of a programme of work, alternative provision should be made for the veterinary oversight of the animals in question.
	Where the named veterinary surgeon holds a project licence, a different veterinary surgeon should be nominated to perform the duties of the named veterinary surgeon for that project.

Animal Welfare

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for project licences under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 he has rejected on the grounds that the procedures would cause severe pain or distress which cannot be alleviated in each year since 2004.

Meg Hillier: We do not hold the information requested. A feature of the regulatory regime under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 is the discussion that often takes place at an early stage between applicants (or prospective applicants) and the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate. When serious deficiencies are discovered with the proposals during these early discussions with the local inspectors, or within the establishments local ethical review processes, proposals unlikely to meet the Acts stringent requirements are revised or withdrawn before formal refusal becomes necessary.

Animal Welfare

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department issues guidance on the use of live animals for the purposes of training in  (a) cervical dislocation and  (b) injecting procedures carried out under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

Meg Hillier: Standard Condition 17 for designated scientific procedure establishments in Appendix B of the Guidance of the Operation of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 stipulates that the certificate holder is responsible for assuring competence for a non-regulated procedure such as humane killings by methods listed in schedule 1 of the 1986 Act.
	Section 3.12 of the guidance stipulates that the project licence holder must ensure that personal licensees working under their control are adequately supervised and trained and that regulated procedures such as injecting substances are competently performed in accordance with the project licence authorities.
	The training framework for those with key responsibilities under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) 1986 is set out in Annex F of the Guidance on the Operation of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
	Module 2 of the Animal Research Training Course provides training on humane methods of killing appropriate to the relevant species and on the job training provides practical skills which would include injection techniques. The Home Office has also issued a code of practiceThe Humane Killing of Animals under Schedule 1 to the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
	Only those with appropriate personal licence authorities may lawfully perform regulated procedures on protected animals and other than a limited range of specialist procedures project licences are not issued for training in manual skills.

Antisocial Behaviour

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent steps he has taken to reduce levels of antisocial behaviour.

Alan Campbell: Over the past 12 years we have introduced a wide range of tools and powers to tackle antisocial behaviour which are being used by practitioners to bring relief to communities across the country. We are committed to driving down antisocial behaviour by supporting victims and making all local partners take fast and effective action against it.
	On 13 October we announced a package of measures to improve the collective response to ASB, building on the Government's success in driving down antisocial behaviour. These are:
	Encouraging CDRPs to make full use of the use of tools and powers;
	Challenging all CDRPs to set minimum local service standards so that the public have a clear set of commitments and know what they can hold agencies accountable for;
	Stepping up action on breach of ASBOs including through better case management, increased publicity and the use of community impact statements;
	Ensuring effective links between neighbourhood policing and neighbourhood management teams to resolve ASB in the community;
	A new deal for victims and witnesses of ASB including extension of Victim Support service to victims and witnesses bringing ASB cases in the magistrates courts; funding for 85 new victims champions in pioneer areas, and those where people have high perceptions of antisocial behaviour; and
	A national training campaign for ASB coordinators to improve their victim work.
	In addition the Policing Pledge which puts the police on the side of victims which will be strengthened in the white paper.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date his Departments qualitative review of anti-social behaviour orders commenced; which matters are being analysed as part of the review; what estimate he has made of the cost of the review; what methodology is being used; and when he expects  (a) the study to be completed and  (b) the review to be published.

Alan Campbell: The Home Office has commissioned two pieces of work evaluating interventions to tackle antisocial behaviour. These are:
	Research to examine local variations in the use of antisocial behaviour interventions. This work was conducted by Ipsos MORI and comprised a survey sent to all CDRP ASB co-ordinators and multi stakeholder focus groups within eight CDRPs. All sites that participated in the focus groups were informed that the details of areas and individuals involved would remain anonymous to facilitate the open sharing of views and prevent identification of individuals involved.
	This research project contract costs were £37,700 and the field work was conducted between February and May 2008. The findings of this study will be published in due course.
	An evaluation of the comparative effectiveness of interventions to address antisocial behaviour. This started in December 2008 and results from this evaluation are due in early 2010. A mixed methodology has been used in this study with a quantitative data exercise to meet the PAC recommendation of gathering information on the extent to which individual and situational characteristics influence the effectiveness of interventions to tackle ASB. Qualitative data has been collected through interviews and case files reviews.
	Once again all sites that participated in the qualitative research were informed that the details of areas and individuals involved would remain anonymous to facilitate open sharing of views and to prevent the identification of both victims and perpetrators of ASB. Contract costs for the project are £200,463. The research will be published in due course.

Asylum

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the written ministerial statement of 13 October 2009,  Official Report, columns 20-21WS, on asylum, on what grounds he decided that the Asylum Screening Unit in Croydon should be the only location at which initial asylum applications may be made; what assessment he has made of the likely effects on Croydon of that decision; and if he will allocate funds to Croydon borough council for the purposes of making provision for an increase in demand on local services consequent on the closure of the Liverpool asylum submissions unit to initial asylum applications.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 28 October 2009
	An operational decision was taken to re-designate the Asylum Screening Unit (ASU) in Liverpool to a Further Submissions Unit (FSU). Failed asylum seekers who wish to submit any further submissions now have to do so in person instead of by post, as we believe it is appropriate to see individuals in person when they submit information about their asylum claim, as evidence suggests that the majority of further submissions are not accepted as a fresh claim. We think requiring people to make further submissions in person will discourage abuse and help us run a more efficient system so that people who are in need of our protection get it without delay.
	We also believe that anyone seeking asylum should do so at the first available opportunitythis means on arrival at a port of entry. So only those who have failed to claim on arrival will be required to travel to Croydon to make their asylum application. The decision to designate Croydon ASU as the single site for applicants to lodge a claim for asylum reflects this fact. It also reflects the fact that the impact on Croydon is not expected to be dramatic as Croydon ASU has the capacity and existing infrastructure to screen the limited numbers of applicants that are expected to lodge an asylum claim at ASU Croydon once ASU Liverpool is re-designated. Before the change Liverpool ASU were booking on average between five10 appointments a day. This is the number of extra people who will be expected now to make their claim in Croydon. It is therefore considered that the effects on Croydon would be minimal, particularly as a partial appointment system has been introduced which allows increased opportunity to manage the flow of intake into the ASU.
	There are insufficient grounds to allocate Croydon borough council more funds as a very small proportion of those who claim asylum in Croydon will remain there. Those asylum applicants who are destitute will be accommodated away from London and the South East and there are transitional arrangements to take account of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children claiming in Liverpool. Once these transitional arrangements have ended, there should be minimal financial affect on Croydon borough council as the UK Border Agency fully funds the council on a per day basis for each UASC they are responsible for. Additionally, the numbers of additional UASC claiming asylum at Croydon ASU are not expected to be significant.

Asylum: Iraq

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of applications for asylum by former Iraqi locally employed civilians were rejected for having failed to amass 12 months continuous service; and how many such applications fell short by periods of one month or under.

Ivan Lewis: I have been asked to reply.
	Over 50 per cent. of all applications received from former members of the locally engaged staff have failed because the applicant did not meet the criteria set out in my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretarys written ministerial statement of 30 October 2007,  Official Report, column 30WS.
	Of these, the majority failed because the applicant had not completed 12 months continuous service. Other reasons for failure were that the employment was not directly with the Government; the employment did not fall within the stated categories; or the applicant had been dismissed for disciplinary reasons.
	The information on numbers of those who failed because they had one month or less required service is not held centrally and would involve searching over 600 paper files held by four employing Departments. This could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Computer Misuse Act 1990

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many warrants were issued under section 14 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990 in the last four years.

Claire Ward: I have been asked to reply.
	Information showing the number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts, and found guilty at all courts for offences under sections 1, 2, 3 and 3 A of the Computer Misuse Act 1990 in England and Wales from 2004 to 2007 (latest available) is shown in the following table. From the information available on the Ministry of Justice court proceedings database it is not possible to identify if any of the proceedings and convictions resulted from a warrant issued under section 14 of the Computer Misuse Act 1990.
	Data for 2008 are planned for publication on 28 January 2010.
	
		
			  The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences under the Computer Misuse Act 1990, England and Wales, 2004 - 07( 1, 2) 
			   2004  2005  2006  2007 
			  Offence  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			 Unauthorised access to computer material. Section 1 5 3 5 4 7 4 8 3 
			 Unauthorised access with intent to commit or facilitate commission of further offences. Section 2 6 2 11 7 5 4 2  
			 Unauthorised modification of computer material. Sections 3 and 3A. 10 7 8 5 13 10 9 7 
			 Total 21 12 24 16 25 18 19 10 
			 (1 )The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source:  Justice Statistics Analytical ServicesMinistry of Justice.

Counter-Terrorism

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have received assistance from the Channel project for vulnerable individuals at risk of extremism since 1 January 2009; how many such people were under  (a) 16 years and  (b) 12 years old; how many such people were not Muslim; what evaluation of the outcomes of the programme has been undertaken; what proportion of people assisted by the Channel project were found to have been at risk of becoming violent extremists; and on what grounds such findings were made.

David Hanson: holding answer 2 November 2009
	 We hold the following data on Channel which covers the period April 2007-December 2008:
	Between April 2007-December 2008:
	228 referrals were made to the Channel Project
	The known age range of those referred to Channel as potentially vulnerable to violent extremism and in need of multi-agency support was seven-50 years.
	The majority of referrals were aged between 15-24 years;
	Of those referred to Channel as potentially vulnerable to violent extremism and in need of multi-agency support 93 per cent. were male.
	We will be publishing, shortly, a guidance document on Channel for partnerships. This document will include and reflect feedback and the implementation lessons learned from some of the longest running sites.
	There is no single profile of a violent extremist. There are a range of factors and vulnerabilities that may facilitate the process of radicalisation. Delivering the Prevent Strategy: An Updated Guide for Local Partners includes a description of the factors that might make a person more susceptible to exploitation by violent extremists. These include: open support for violent extremist causes; possession of violent extremist material and behavioural change. Local partners work together and use their professional judgement to assess an individuals vulnerability to being drawn in to violent extremism.
	Referrals are made on the basis of this assessment.

Crimes of Violence

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what recent steps he has taken to reduce the incidence of violent crime against people with learning disabilities;
	(2)  what recent steps he has taken to reduce the incidence of violence against people with physical disabilities.

Alan Campbell: On 14 September 2009 we launched the Cross-Government Hate Crime Action Plan. This brings together the range of work being delivered across Government and criminal justice agencies to tackle all forms of hate crime, including violent hate crime against people with physical or learning disabilities. Action 58 provides for the Department of Health and the Home Office to develop guidance for Learning Disability Partnership Boards on effectively preventing and responding to hate crime. The Home Office is also engaged with the Department for Health, Ministry of Justice and Attorney General's Office in the review of No Secrets guidance on safeguarding vulnerable adults.
	We have also published a strategy for reducing all forms of violence Saving lives. Reducing harm. Protecting the public. An Action Plan for Tackling Violence 2008-11 in February 2008 and have recently published an update on progress An Action Plan for Tackling Violence 2008-11. One Year On. The refreshed document reports on the progress that has been made over the last year and looks at what more can be done to prevent violent crime. This includes exploring opportunities across government for early identification of all forms of violence and abuse, including against people with learning and physical disabilities.

Criminal Records

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received following the Court of Appeal judgment on 19 October 2009 on the retention of individual records on police computers; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Hillier: We have received no representations to date.
	It is vital that we do everything we can to protect the public from crime and this judgment provides valuable clarification of how we can continue to do so through retaining conviction data on the Police National Computer (PNC).
	My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has asked the newly appointed Independent Advisor for Criminality Information Management, Sunita Mason, to review how criminal records on the PNC are retained and disclosed. She will work closely with the police to develop proposals for a fair and proportionate approach.

Departmental Procurement

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his latest assessment is of the effectiveness and efficiency of his Department's procurement of technology and equipment.

Meg Hillier: My overall assessment of the Department's procurement of technology and equipment is of a strong performing, effective and efficient commercial capability. The assessment is based on a number of factors, put in place over the past two years, which are bearing positive results. These include:
	The development and implementation of a three year procurement strategy, approved by the Board in April 2007, which focuses on delivering holistic procurement, with as much focus on supplier/contract management and buying operations as on sourcing contracts;
	The implementation and operation of category segmentation into strategic and non-strategic areas, with a professional organisation designed and in place to manage spend and suppliers accordingly;
	Investments made to upgrade the procurement capability, specifically through the creation of a Procurement Centre of Excellence (PCoE) and upgrading technology in support of eProcurement applications;
	The OGC procurement capability review which ranked the Department the second best performing Government Department;
	Independent research from Ipsos/Mori reported that 93 per cent. of suppliers rate their relationship with the Department to be good or excellent;
	The NAO review of managing major contracts commended the Department for implementing and managing successful benchmarking of major IT contracts;
	The Department was the first central Government Department to have Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) accredited policies and procedures in place;
	The work by IPS in sourcing the strategic framework for the National Identity Scheme (NIS) has been recognised across Government as an exemplar to manage the procurement and suppliers of large scale complex IT programmes;
	The Department has recently concluded successful negotiations with its two major suppliers of IT services (Fujitsu and Atos Origin), which will result in contractually agreed savings of £112 million over the next six years.

Departmental Visits Abroad

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department spent on overnight accommodation for  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials while overseas in each of the last three years.

Phil Woolas: The Cabinet Office annual lists of overseas trips undertaken by Ministers costing over £500 can be accessed at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/proprietyandethics/ministers/travelgifts.aspx.
	The list for 2008-09 was published on 16 July. This and earlier lists are available in the Library of the House.
	Information relating to how much was spent on overnight accommodation for officials while overseas could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	All travel by Ministers and civil servants is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code respectively.

Educational Institutions: Fraud

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills in the last six months on the number of bogus colleges in operation.

Phil Woolas: The Secretary of State for the Home Department has not met with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills specifically to discuss bogus colleges. I have met with my right hon. Friend the right hon. Member for Tottenham (Mr. Lammy) and there has been regular discussion between officials in the two Departments about PBS generally and bogus colleges in particular. We estimate that around 1,500 colleges have ceased to operate.

Entry Clearances

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many academic staff from each overseas country have applied for visas to  (a) work and  (b) lecture in the UK in each of the last 12 months; how many such applications were refused; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: There is provision in the Immigration Rules (paragraph 46G) for non-EEA nationals to enter as Business Visitors, including Academic Visitors. Prior entry clearance is only mandatory for visa nationals. Academics coming to participate in a conference or seminar where it is a single or occasional event, and the event is not a commercial venture, may enter as Academic Visitors. Those who intend to come to the UK solely to undertake a series of lectures for which they will receive a fee will normally be required to seek entry for employment purposes under Tier 2 of the Points Based System. Tier 2 applications from Academics cannot be separately identified.
	The number of (1) applications received; (2) visas issued; and (3) visas refused in the Academic Visitor category in each of the last 12 months (October 2008 to September 2009) is shown in the following table. A separate table has been placed in the House of Commons Library which gives this information for each nationality.
	
		
			  Reporting period  Endorsement DESC  Applications  Issued  Refused  Withdrawn  Lapsed  Resolved 
			 October 2008 Academic visitor 294 242 35 15 0 292 
			 November 2008 Academic visitor 226 188 32 15 0 235 
			 December 2008 Academic visitor 257 195 25 5 0 225 
			 January 2009 Academic visitor 278 251 26 3 2 282 
			 February 2009 Academic visitor 285 258 47 5 8 318 
			 March 2009 Academic visitor 358 279 49 8 1 337 
			 April 2009 Academic visitor 338 254 26 13 2 295 
			 May 2009 Academic visitor 440 411 50 15 3 479 
			 June 2009 Academic visitor 548 452 63 5 1 521 
			 July 2009 Academic visitor 533 440 57 2 0 499 
			 August 2009 Academic visitor 433 377 71 6 0 454 
			 September 2009 Academic visitor 454 359 62 8 1 430 
			 Total (number)  4,444 3,706 543 100 18 4,367 
			 Refusal rate (percentage)12
			  Source:  CRS 2 November 2009. The data are unpublished and should be treated as provisional.

Equipment: Theft

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate he has made of the value of heavy plant and equipment stolen in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 5 November 2009
	The Home Office has not recently estimated the cost of the theft of heavy plant and equipment. The plant and agricultural national intelligence unit of the Metropolitan police estimates that approximately £1.5 million of construction and agricultural plant machinery is stolen in the UK every week.
	I am aware that vehicle security experts Thatcham estimate the total cost to the UK of plant theft to be upwards of £600 million per year.
	The Home Office takes the theft of plant and equipment very seriously. That is why the Home Office scientific development branch (HOSDB) published the Security Guidance Document for Agricultural and Construction Plant, which was launched by Crime Reduction Minster Alan Campbell at the Construction Industry Theft Solutions Conference on 3 November this year.
	The new guidance provides up to date advice and information for the agricultural and construction industries, helping them to protect themselves from theft. The guidance was first published in January 2008, and has been revised and updated in the light of technological developments and our most recent understanding of the methods used by criminals to steal agricultural and plant machinery.
	I am grateful to the plant theft action group (PTAG), established by the Home Office but now operated by and for the plant industry, and to the plant and agricultural national intelligence unit of the Metropolitan police (PANIU) for their support in producing the updated guidance.
	PTAG and PANIU are also continuing to make a significant contribution to the reduction of plant theft through developments such as the CESAR plant marking and registration scheme, and the publication of guidance on construction site security.
	The availability of the HOSDB plant security guidance, the PANIU site security guidance and the CESAR scheme are together proving successful at reducing plant theft and increasing rates of recovery of stolen plant.

Identity Cards

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many identity card readers had been issued as at 1 October 2009.

Phil Woolas: Identity cards issued to British citizens and foreign nationals can be read, in the same way as machine-readable passports, at border controls at all significant points of entry to the United Kingdom. Additionally 12 specialist card readers have to date been issued for use by Home Office staff, for use at major ports and enforcement operations. These readers have been issued as part of a pilot to allow more sophisticated card reading checks.

Identity Cards

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate he has made of the number of applications for an identity card required for the scheme to be wholly funded from application fees; what methodology was used to make that estimate; and how many and what proportion of people in Manchester have applied to participate in the scheme.

Meg Hillier: Fees have yet to be agreed for 2011 and beyond and will need to be agreed with HM Treasury during 2010. However, over time, we expect National Identity Service costs to be recovered through fees.
	As published in the October 2009 National Identity Service Cost report, over the time period October 2009 to October 2019, we expect to have issued approximately 88 million products.
	These are total product volumes, including transactions associated with the replacement of lost or damaged items (but excludes transactions that do not require product issuance, such as changes of address). In many cases the same application will result in the issuance of both a passport and identity card.
	Up to and including 2 November, almost 12,000 people have registered their interest in the National Identity Service. So far 17 per cent. of those registered are from the Greater Manchester area.

Illegal Immigrants: Ports

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal immigrants were detected at the (a) Hull,  (b) Dover,  (c) Portsmouth and  (d) Southampton port of entry in the last six months for which figures are available.

Phil Woolas: In the period April 2009 to September 2009 inclusive, the UKBA Border Force north region served illegal entry papers to 1,866 entrants, of which 571 were clandestine entrants. This answer relates to illegal immigrants detected within the north region of the UKBA Border Force, which includes Hull.
	In the same period, the UKBA Border Force south region served illegal entry papers to 2,957 entrants, of which 2,715 were clandestine entrants. This answer relates to illegal immigrants detected within the south region which includes Dover, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Immigration

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether Ministers in his Department approved the issue of the UK Immigration Services operational instruction 01/2704, dated 7 July 2004; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the instruction.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 2 November 2009
	There is no legal requirement for Ministers to clear operational instructions of this nature. It is not possible, from the information currently available, to confirm whether Operational Instruction 01/2704 was approved by Ministers in the Home Department. The instruction is no longer extant and has been surpassed by Chapter 4 of the Border Force Operational Manual. The current instruction was reviewed and authorised by a UK Border Agency Director, on behalf of the Secretary of State.
	All operational instructions are electronically archived on the UK Border Agency database for a fixed period and are not routinely forwarded to the House of Commons Library. However, in this instance, I can confirm that a copy of Operational Instruction 01/2704 will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

Police: Doncaster

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) police officers and  (b) police community support officers were in post in Doncaster on the most recent date for which figures are available; and how many (i) police officers were in post in each year since 1997 and (ii) police community support officers were in post in each year since 2002 in Doncaster.

David Hanson: The available data are provided in the table. This information has been collected at Basic Command Unit level since April 2002 for police officers and since June 2004 for police community support officers.
	
		
			  Police officers and PCSOs in Doncaster Basic Command Unit, as at 31 March( 1, 2) 
			   Police officers  PCSOs( 3) 
			 2009 502 74 
			 2008 528 74 
			 2007 537 73 
			 2006(3) 542 37 
			 2005(3) 526 36 
			 2004 549 n/a 
			 2003 533 n/a 
			 (1) These figures are based on full-time equivalents that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. (2) Data on police officer strength by police basic command unit was collected centrally for the first time for the period beginning April 2002. Therefore, data broken down by BCU are not available prior to that. (3 )PCSO figures in 2005 and 2006 are as at 30 June. No data are available for PCSOs prior to 2005.

Prisoners: Foreigners

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign nationals are serving prison sentences in England and Wales.

Phil Woolas: Figures published by the Ministry of Justice confirm that at June 2009 there were 11,400 foreign nationals held. This figure includes those in the immigration removal centres Dover, Haslar and Lindholme as well as those held on remand or serving custodial sentences.
	Statistics on the number of foreign nationals held in the individual prisons and immigration removal centres can be found at the Ministry of Justices website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/docs/population-in-custody-06-2009.pdf

Proceeds of Crime

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will bring forward proposals to enable proceeds of crime recovered in individual police force areas to be used for local community organisations in those areas.

Alan Campbell: Last month the Government announced details of local projects to be funded under the £4 million Community Cashback scheme, which gave communities a say on how recovered criminal assets are spent. Eight local projects are being supported under the scheme in the South Yorkshire area with total funding of £98,000. In addition many police forces use a portion of the money they receive under the Asset Recovery Incentive Scheme to support local projects in the community.

Terrorism: Crime Prevention

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 26 October 2009,  Official Report, column 9, on Prevent, what his most recent assessment is of the operation of the Prevent strand of his Department's counter-terrorism strategy in the Waltham Forest area; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: Waltham Forest is one of the strongest performing boroughs in east London on Prevent. It is also a beacon borough for cohesive and resilient communities, which is in part a reflection of its good work on Prevent. Waltham Forest contributes positively to the national Prevent agenda and has a strong multi agency partnership, which is delivering a wide range of Prevent projects.

Vetting

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate he has made of the number of people seeking registration with the Independent Safeguarding Authority under the vetting and barring scheme in the next five years.

Meg Hillier: It is estimated that up to 11.3 million people will join the Vetting and Barring Scheme over five years.

Vetting

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long on average he expects it to take for an application for registration under the vetting and barring scheme to be processed by the Independent Safeguarding Authority.

Meg Hillier: Applications for registration under the Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS) are processed by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB). The target date for all applications for registration to be processed by the CRB is within seven days of receipt.
	The Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) is involved only if the registration process indicates that criminal records or other information must be considered.

Alcoholic Drinks: Death

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce alcohol-related deaths.

Gillian Merron: The Government have a comprehensive strategy, Safe. Sensible. Social. The next steps in the National Alcohol Strategy, to tackle alcohol harm, including alcohol-related deaths. This is based on informing and supporting people to make healthier and more responsible choices, creating an environment in which the healthier and more responsible choice is the easier choice, providing advice and support for people most at risk and providing a delivery system that effectively prioritises and delivers action on alcohol misuse. Key actions include:
	the Government's Know Your Limits campaign to challenge binge drinking' and the public acceptability of drunkenness by highlighting the attendant personal and social consequences, and improving the public's knowledge of alcohol units and of the heath risks associated with regular drinking of alcohol above the recommended guidelines;
	the development of a range of new kinds of information and advice, such as interactive web-based support and advice, available nationally;
	publishing the School of Health and Related Research review assessing the effects of alcohol price and promotion on health, crime and employment;
	investing £8 million through a directed enhanced service in primary care nationwide to promote early identification of drinking alcohol linked to health harm and brief interventions to reduce excessive drinking;
	identifying a series of High Impact Changes (HIC) on alcohol for primary care trusts (PCTs) to help them identify the key actions they can undertake to reduce alcohol-related health harms, including improving the effectiveness and capacity of specialist treatment for dependence on alcohol;
	on 5 November 2008, we launched the Alcohol Improvement Programme, which includes new funding for regional alcohol managers to coordinate the Alcohol Improvement Programme in each region; the Alcohol Learning Centre, an on-line resource which promotes sharing of good practice; and a National Support Team for Alcohol providing support to local commissioners;
	from April 2008, a new NHS Indicator to reduce alcohol-related hospital admissions, which provides a real incentive for local PCTs to provide alcohol prevention and treatment services. 99 PCTs and 75 local authority areas have returned plans showing that they have retained or adopted this indicator for 2009-10;
	in June 2008, we established World Class Commissioning (WCC) competencies against which all PCTs are assessed, with prevention of alcohol-related harm appearing as one of the 10 most frequently chosen outcome measures; and
	in July 2009, we published 'Signs for Improvement', which provides alcohol-specific commissioning guidance, built on WCC principles, specifically for PCTs to aid them in commissioning appropriate and effective interventions and treatment. A copy has been placed in the Library.
	The Department supports Government-wide action such as the recent consultation by the Home Office on a mandatory code for alcohol retailers. This includes proposals to restrict irresponsible alcohol promotions.

Cancer: Diagnosis

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr. Lansley) of 12 October 2009,  Official Report, column 803W, on cancer: diagnosis, what his capital and revenue cost estimates are for  (a) new buildings,  (b) new equipment and  (c) additional staff; and from which of his Department's budgets any additional revenue costs will be drawn.

Ann Keen: Further work is being undertaken to finalise the costs of implementing these plans, to refine the modelling and assumptions that underlie them. This will take account of the investment made to date in improving cancer and diagnostic services and new models of delivery.
	Initial estimates are as follows:
	Capital costs will be about £650 million between the periods 2011-12 and 2014-15; and
	Early estimates of revenue costs are in the region of £1,250 million between the periods 2011-12 and 2015-16. (This corrects my written answer given to the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire on 13 October 2009,  Official Report, column 802W in which it was stated that the revenue costs were for the period 2011-12 and 2014-15).
	Final costing requirements and profiling will be worked up over the coming months in consultation with the national health service taking into account new models of delivery and changes in working practices.

Colindeep Lane Clinicenta

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the level of clinical activity at the Colindeep Lane Clinicenta; what treatments are available at the centre; and how many patients from each postcode area have been treated at the centre.

Mike O'Brien: This information is not held centrally.

Dental Services: Stroud

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what progress is being made in the provision of NHS dentistry in the Stroud area through the Dental Access Programme; and what interest has been shown in the forthcoming tender by existing local dentists;
	(2)  what plans he has to increase access to NHS dentistry in the Stroud area; and what target he has set for the number of patients having access to an NHS dentist.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available has been placed in the Library.
	It is for primary care trusts (PCTs) to plan and commission services to meet the needs of their local population.
	The NHS in England: The operating framework for 2009-10, a copy of which has already been placed in the Library, commits all PCTs to ensuring access to national health service dentistry for all who actively seek it. In January this year, the NHS committed to delivering this by at the latest March 2011. Delivering the 2011 goal requires every PCT to assess the level of local demand for NHS care. A dental access programme has been set up to support PCTs in increasing local provision of services where this is needed.

General Practitioners

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS body determines the proportion of GP appointments at a practice which may be booked in advance; what guidance his Department has issued on the matter; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: It is for general practitioner (GP) practices to decide how their appointments are divided between quick appointments and those that can be booked further ahead.
	Improving Access, Responding to Patients: A how to guide for GP practices was launched on 2 September, and has been distributed to all GP practices and every primary care trust and strategic health authority. This guide gives practical advice on setting up appointment systems, which meet patients needs and preferences. A copy of the document has been placed in the Library.

Health Centres: Barnet

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made on plans for GP-led health centres in Barnet; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: This is a matter for Barnet Primary Care Trust.

Health Services: Overseas Visitors

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 9 September 2009,  Official Report, column 1985W, on health services (overseas residence), what estimate he has made of the  (a) non-reciprocal income received and  (b) bad debts and claims abandoned in respect of overseas patients in relation to Newark in each of the last 10 years.

Gillian Merron: None of the national health service organisations serving the Newark area, as shown in the following list, reported any income from overseas patients under non-reciprocal agreements in any year going back to 2002-03. Similarly, none of these organisations reported any bad debts written off in respect of overseas patients in any year going back to 2002-03. Information before 2002-03 is not available centrally.
	 NHS organisations covering Newark :
	Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
	Nottinghamshire County Teaching Primary Care Trust (PCT)
	Bassetlaw PCT
	Newark and Sherwood PCT
	Central Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust
	Kings Mill Centre for Health Care Services NHS Trust
	 Notes:
	1. This data is not held for foundation trusts. Therefore, data for Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for 2008-09 and 2007-08 is not included.
	2. In April 2001, Central Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust and Kings Mill Centre for Health Care Services NHS Trust merged to form Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust.
	3. Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was authorised as a foundation trust on 1 February 2007.
	4. The Nottinghamshire County Teaching PCT was formed in October 2006 following the merger of six former PCTs: Ashfield, Broxtowe and Hucknall, Gedling, Mansfield District, Newark and Sherwood, and Rushcliffe.
	 Source:
	Audited summarisation schedules

Health Services: Overseas Visitors

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with which countries the UK has bilateral health agreements under paragraphs 4(m) and 4(o) of the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989.

Gillian Merron: Under Regulations 4(m) and 4(o), the United Kingdom has bilateral health agreements with the following countries:
	 Regulation 4(m) nationals of European Economic Area countries:
	Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus (Southern), Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Switzerland by special arrangement.
	 Regulation 4(o) Other bilateral healthcare agreements:
	Anguilla, Armenia*, Australia, Azerbaijan*, Barbados, Bosnia*, British Virgin Islands, Croatia*, Falkland Islands, Georgia*, Gibraltar*, Isle of Man, Kazakhstan*, Kyrgyzstan*, Macedonia*, Moldova*, Montenegro*, Montserrat, New Zealand*, Russia*, Serbia*, St. Helena, Tajikistan*, Turkmenistan*, Turks and Caicos Islands, Ukraine* and Uzbekistan*.
	 Note:
	Those countries marked with an asterisk apply to the nationals of those countries and UK nationals only. The others cover those countries residents, irrespective of nationality.

Hospitals: Admissions

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people aged  (a) between 45 and 55,  (b) between 55 and 65 and  (c) 65 years and over were readmitted to hospital within three days of being discharged in the latest period for which figures are available.

Mike O'Brien: Information routinely available from the Compendium of Clinical and Health Indicators is limited to information on emergency readmissions 28 days after discharge from hospital. A special analysis of data on emergency readmission rates was published by the Department in October 2008 and a copy has been placed in the Library. This shows that in 2006-07, the last year for which data were then available, 43,560 patients were readmitted as emergency readmissions within one day of discharge (14.9 per cent, of all emergency readmissions) and 104,255 within two to seven days of discharge (35.6 per cent.). An analysis by age group is not available.

Hospitals: Admissions

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of people aged 85 years and over in  (a) England and  (b) Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority who had at least one emergency readmission to hospital in (i) 1997, (ii) 2003, (iii) 2007 and (iv) the latest year for which information is available;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of people in  (a) England and  (b) Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority who had at least one emergency readmission to hospital in (i) 1997, (ii) 2003, (iii) 2007 and (iv) the last year for which information is available;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the number of people aged 60 years and over in  (a) England and  (b) Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority who had at least one emergency re-admission to hospital in (i) 1997, (ii) 2003, (iii) 2007 and (iv) the last year for which information is available.

Mike O'Brien: The information available, based on information provided by the National Centre for Health Outcomes Development, is set out in the following table. Information on the number of people who have experienced at least one emergency readmission (as opposed to the total number of emergency readmissions), and information for the precise age groups requested, is not available and could not be obtained at proportionate cost.
	
		
			  Emergency readmissions to hospital within 28 days of discharge from hospital (excluding cancer, maternity and mental health patients) 
			  Age group  0-15 years  16-74 years  75+ years  All ages 
			  FY  1998-99  2003-04  2007-08  1998-99  2003-04  2007-08  1998-99  2003-04  2007-08  1998-99  2003-04  2008-08 
			 England 60,531 62,721 77,631 204,905 243,316 309,589 94,283 123,769 159,134 359,719 429,806 546,354 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority 7,057 7,196 7,400 26,878 28,803 33,240 12,285 15,052 17,339 46,220 51,051 57,979 
			  Notes: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care.  Crown Copyright. Compendium of Clinical and Health Indicators/Clinical and Health Outcomes Knowledge Base (www.nchod.nhs.uk)  Source: Hospital Episodes Statistics NCHOD FY vFeb 2009 (Extracts may only be reproduced by permission.)

National Skills Academy for Social Care

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many courses the Social Care Skills Academy offers; how many enrolments that academy has recorded; and what the cost to the public purse of that academy was on the latest date for which figures are available.

Phil Hope: The National Skills Academy for Social Care was launched on 13 October 2009. It will be working to develop training and learning practice on leadership, management and commissioning skills in adult social care.
	It has launched a National Management Trainee Scheme, which has placed 20 graduates into employer organisations in the adult social care sector, for the first time, to develop future leaders for the sector. It is working with training providers to accredit and endorse training and will be commencing a pilot approach with these providers in the new year as well as working on delivering apprenticeships. The initial focus of the skills academy will be about improving the retention rates of those on social care courses.
	The National Skills Academy for Social Care receives funding from the Learning and Skills Council and from the Department of Health. The following table sets out the funding to date.
	
		
			  £000 
			   2008-09  2009-10  Total 
			 Learning and Skills Council 187.5 (1)112.5 300 
			 Department of Health 1,073.0 (2)3,645.0 4,618 
			 Total 1,160.5 3,757.5 4,918 
			 (1)Learning and Skills Council funding is to end June 2009. (2)Department of Health funding is for the full year. 
		
	
	Until the official launch on 13 October 20009, the Skills Academy as an organisation did not exist and funding was provided to the Social Care Institute of Excellence.

NHS: Computer Software

Richard Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his most recent estimate is of the highest number of live concurrent users of the Lorenzo software system at NHS Bury  (a) at any one time and  (b) on any one day.

Mike O'Brien: As at 9 November 2009, the highest number of live concurrent users logged into the Lorenzo software system at the NHS Bury Primary Care Trust (PCT) at any one time is 93. This occurred on the day the PCT went live with the system, on 3 November 2009.

NHS: Information and Communications Technology

Richard Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the projected lifetime costs are in respect of each contractor under the National Programme for IT in the NHS; and how much each such contractor had been paid on the latest date for which figures are available.

Mike O'Brien: Relevant information is contained in the following table.
	
		
			  National programme for IT by key elements: Projected lifetime costs and expenditure to 31 March 2009 
			  £ million 
			  Core c ontracts  Projected lifetime costs( 1)  E xpenditure to 31 March 2009( 1) 
			 London 1,021 326 
			 South 1,104 133 
			 North East 1,035 276 
			 East 930 237 
			 North West and West Midlands 1,042 271 
			 Spine 889 791 
			 N3 Network 554 554 
			 Choose and Book 144 133 
			 Amount retained by Accenture(2) 110 -52 
			  Notes: 1. Figures in the two columns are not directly comparable. The projected lifetime costs are shown at 2004-05 prices, and final outturn will be higher due to inflation in subsequent years. Those for expenditure to 31 March 2009 are resource outturn figures. 2. In 2006, Accenture made arrangements to voluntarily novate the company's contract to another existing supplier under the programme. Of the £179 million Accenture had received to that point the company retained £110 million for work completed. £52 million represents the value, for accounting purposes, of moneys repaid as at 31 March 2009.

NHS: Information and Communications Technology

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the expenditure on the implementation of the iSOFT Lorenzo care record service at  (a) the South Birmingham Primary Care Trust,  (b) University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust,  (c) Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust,  (d) Hereford Hospitals Trust and  (e) Five Boroughs Partnership NHS Trust.

Mike O'Brien: Expenditure incurred in implementing computerised record systems at national health service trusts has two components. A one-off deployment charge is paid when the trust has accepted the system, and there will be local costs associated with preparation, deployment and support.
	The agreed deployment charge for full deployment of all bundles of service, when complete, at the South Birmingham PCT, University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust, Hereford Hospitals NHS Trust, and Five Boroughs Partnership NHS Trust is £4.758 million in each case. For Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust the agreed charge is £8.090 million. Information is not held centrally about the local costs, which will vary from trust to trust.
	These figures are at contract base-year values, exclude indexation, and do not reflect actual payments made to date.

NHS: Standards

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions the Care and Quality Commission has carried out inspections of  (a) acute trusts and  (b) private healthcare providers to ensure compliance with the Care and Quality Commissions core standard C4b in the last 12 months.

Mike O'Brien: As part of the 2008-09 Annual Health Check, the Care Quality Commission inspected five acute trusts in relation to core standard C4b.
	Private health care providers are not subject to core standards.

NHS: Standards

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of  (a) acute trusts and  (b) private healthcare providers were found to be compliant with the Care and Quality Commissions core standard C4b at the time of their most recent inspection by the Commission.

Mike O'Brien: As part of the 2008-09 Annual Health Check, the Care Quality Commission judged 151 out of 169 acute trusts to be compliant with core standard C4b.
	Private health care providers are not subject to core standards.

NHS: Standards

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS targets have been discontinued in each of the last six months.

Mike O'Brien: The Department constantly reviews the appropriateness of the performance indicators it uses. As a result, in his interim report High Quality Care for All: Our Journey So far published on 30 June 2009, Lord Darzi recommended dropping the maximum 26-week inpatient standard and 13-week outpatient standard as these have been superseded by achievement of the 18 Weeks standard. We are currently consulting on this issue.

Pleural Plaques

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many people have been diagnosed with pleural plaques in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) England in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many people have required treatment for pleural plaques in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) England in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: The only information available, relating to the number of in-patient admissions to hospital with a primary diagnosis of pleural plaques, is given in the following table. Information is given for the strategic health authority and primary care trust areas matching most closely those requested. Information on the number of people diagnosed with pleural plaques as a result of consultations in primary care or in hospital out-patient clinics is not available. In the great majority of cases pleural plaques result in no symptoms and do not require treatment.
	
		
			  Count of admissions( 1)  into hospital where there was a primary diagnosis of pleural plaque( 2)  in England, North East Strategic Health Authority of treatment( 4)  and South Tyneside Primary Care Trust of responsibility( 3)  from 1997-98 to 2008-09, activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector 
			   England  North East Strategic Health Authority of treatment  South Tyneside Primary Care Trust of responsibility (5KG) 
			 2008-09 646 47 * 
			 2007-08 614 39 * 
			 2006-07 570 34 * 
			 2005-06 508 37 7 
			 2004-05 433 31 6 
			 2003-04 379 25 7 
			 2002-03 357 22 * 
			 2001-02 352 30 * 
			 2000-01 337 22 * 
			 1999-2000 283 26 * 
			 1998-99 291 19 * 
			 1997-98 245 * * 
			  Notes: (1) Finished admission episodes A finished admission episode is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Finished admission episodes are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. (2) Primary diagnosis The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the HES data set and provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital. The IC10 diagnosis code for pleural plaque is 392. (3) Primary Care Trust (PCT) of Responsibility A derived field providing the primary care trust responsible for the patient. Commissioning responsibility for individual patients rests with the PCT with whom the patient is registered. This means that patients with a GP in one PCT area may reside in a neighbouring or other area but remain the responsibility of the PCT with whom their GP of registration is associated. PCTs are also responsible for non-registered patients who are resident within their boundaries. (4) Strategic Health Authority (SHA) of Treatment This field is derived from the hospital provider code (procode). It indicates the SHA area within which the treatment took place.  Small numbers To protect patient confidentiality, figures between 1 and 5 have been suppressed and replaced with * (an asterisk). Where it was possible to identify numbers from the total due to a single suppressed number in a row or column, an additional number (the next smallest) has been suppressed.  Data quality HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and PCTs in England. Data is also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.  Assessing growth through time HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. The quality and coverage of the data have improved over time. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Some of the increase in figures for later years (particularly 2006-07 onwards) may be due to the improvement in the coverage of independent sector activity. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example, a number of procedures may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and may no longer be accounted for in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time.  Source:  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care

Prescription Drugs

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what timetable he has set for his Departments consultation on generic substitution; and what the scope of that consultation will be;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with pharmaceutical companies on generic substitution.

Mike O'Brien: We are currently refining our proposals for the implementation of generic substitution. The start date for the consultation process has not yet been agreed but we still expect this to start later this autumn. We expect the consultation period will last 12 weeks and the exact timetable for implementation will therefore be influenced by the outcome of this consultation.
	In order to inform proposals, departmental officials have been discussing the introduction of generic substitution with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, the Ethical Medicines Industry Group, the British Generic Manufacturers Association, the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee and the General Practitioners Committee of the British Medical Association.

Queen Marys Hospital Sidcup

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions his Department has had with South London Healthcare NHS Trust about the full closure of the accident and emergency department at Queen Marys Hospital.

Mike O'Brien: The Department has not had any discussions with South London Healthcare NHS Trust on this subject.

Antisocial Behaviour

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) cautions and  (b) fines were imposed for (i) vandalism, (ii) graffiti, (iii) littering, (iv) throwing fireworks into any street or public place and (v) anti-social behaviour in each district and unitary council area in Essex in each of the last eight quarters for which records are available.

Claire Ward: The number of offenders given cautions, and those imposed with a court fine for selected offences of antisocial behaviour in the Essex police force area, by quarter, for 2006 and 2007 (latest available) is shown in tables 1 and 2.
	Apart from criminal damage (which includes minor acts of vandalism and graffiti up to a value of £300), littering and throwing fireworks, penalty notices for disorder (PNDs) can also be issued for a range of other antisocial behaviour offences including behaviour likely to cause fear, alarm and distress (section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986). This disposal was introduced as part of the Governments strategy to tackle low-level, antisocial and nuisance offending. It has been designed to provide officers with a means of dealing with simple, straightforward cases in a prompt and effective way, saving police time, reducing bureaucracy and reserving courts for more complex cases. The number of PNDs issued in the Essex police force area in 2006 and 2007, by quarter, broken down by offence, is shown in table 3.
	Information held by the Ministry of Justice cannot identify the district or unitary council area in which these offences were committed. Hence, data for the Essex police force area are given in lieu.
	Court proceedings data for 2008 are planned for publication on 28 January 2010.
	Fixed penalty notices (FPNs) can be issued by local authorities for graffiti and littering offences. These data are collected annually by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. There were no fixed penalty notices issued for graffiti offences in Essex between April 2006 and March 2008. Information on fixed penalty notices issued for littering offences in each local authority in Essex are provided in table 4.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of offenders cautioned( 1)  for antisocial behaviour offences for which a PND may be issued in Essex police force area, by quarter, for 2006 and 2007( 2) 
			2006  2007 
			  Statute  Offence description  Quarter 1  Quarter 2  Quarter 3  Quarter 4  Quarter 1  Quarter 2  Quarter 3  Quarter 4 
			 Theft Act 1968 Sec. 1 Stealing from shops and stalls (shoplifting)(3) 447 488 485 649 690 694 668 559 
			 Various Other criminal damage(4) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Explosives Act 1875, Sec. 80 Throwing, casting or firing any fireworks in or into any highway, street, etc. public place 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Public Order Act 1986 Sec. 5 Harassment, alarm or distress 70 78 8 11 231 238 255 228 
			 Police Reform Act 2002 Sch.4 Para.5 (Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 S. 12). Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 S. 12 Contravene a community support officers requirement not to consume liquor. Penalty offence under S.1 Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001alcohol consumption in designated public places 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Criminal Justice Act 1967 Sec. 91 Any person who in any public place is guilty, while drunk, of disorderly behaviour 3 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Licensing (Occasional Permissions) Act 1983 Schedule (Sec. 3) para 4(1). Licensing Act 1964 Sec. 169(1) Holder of occasional permission or his agent knowingly selling to, knowingly allow consumption by or allowing any person to sell, intoxicating liquor to a person under 18. Selling etc. intoxicating liquor to person under 18 for consumption on the premises 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Fire Services Act 1947 Sec. 31 False alarms of fire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Environmental Protection Act 1990 Sec. 87 Depositing litter 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 British Transport Commission Act 1949 S.55, 56. Railway Offences: Offences against Private Acts relating to Railways (other than 169, 1-6). Trespass, throwing stones 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Criminal Law Act 1967 Sec. 5(2) Causing wasteful employment of the police etc. 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Communications Act 2003 S. 127 Improper use of public electronic communications network 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  Total 522 571 493 660 921 932 923 787 
			 (1) The cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time, the principal offence is the more serious offence. From 1 June 2000, the Crime and Disorder Act 1988 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and warnings. These are included in the totals. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) A PND may be issued to an offender as an alternative to a caution or prosecution only where the value of the item stolen is less than £200. (4) Includes offences of vandalism and graffiti but is not exclusive to those offences.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services: Ministry of Justice. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of defendants fined at all courts for antisocial behaviour offences for which a PND may be issued in Essex police force area, by quarter, 2006 and 2007( 1, 2) 
			2006  2007 
			  Statute  Offence description  Quarter 1  Quarter 2  Quarter 3  Quarter 4  Quarter 1  Quarter 2  Quarter 3  Quarter 4 
			 Theft Act 1968 Sec. 1 Stealing from shops and stalls (shoplifting) 77 90 89 84 114 73 91 68 
			 Various Other criminal damage(3) 15 12 10 6 4 6 4 0 
			 Explosives Act 1875, Sec. 80 Throwing, casting or firing any fireworks in or into any highway, street, etc. public place 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Public Order Act 1986 Sec. 5 Harassment, alarm or distress 70 77 84 88 110 94 101 95 
			 Police Reform Act 2002 Sch.4 Para.5 (Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 S. 12). Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 S. 12 Contravene a community support officers requirement not to consume liquor. Penalty offence under S.1 Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001alcohol consumption in designated public places 3 1 2 0 0 1 3 0 
			 Criminal Justice Act 1967 Sec. 91 Any person who in any public place is guilty, while drunk, of disorderly behaviour 44 49 60 39 34 24 38 34 
			 Licensing (Occasional Permissions) Act 1983 Schedule (Sec. 3) para 4(1). Licensing Act 1964 Sec. 169(1) Holder of occasional permission or his agent knowingly selling to, knowingly allow consumption by or allowing any person to sell, intoxicating liquor to a person under 18. Selling etc. intoxicating liquor to person under 18 for consumption on the premises 6 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Fire Services Act 1947 Sec. 31 False alarms of fire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Environmental Protection Act 1990 Sec. 87 Depositing litter 1 4 2 4 5 2 10 22 
			 British Transport Commission Act 1949 S.55, 56. Railway Offences: Offences against Private Acts relating to Railways (other than 169, 1-6). Trespass, throwing stones 1 5 3 3 1 2 2 3 
			 Criminal Law Act 1967 Sec. 5(2) Causing wasteful employment of the police etc. 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Communications Act 2003 S. 127 Improper use of public electronic communications network 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 
			  Total 219 240 252 225 269 202 250 222 
			 (1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Includes offences of vandalism and graffiti but is not exclusive to those offences.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services: Ministry of Justice. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Number of penalty notices for disorder issued in Essex police force area, by offence and quarter, 2006 and 2007( 1) 
			   2006  2007 
			  Offence description  Quarter 1  Quarter 2  Quarter 3  Quarter 4  Quarter 1  Quarter 2  Quarter 3  Quarter 4 
			 Wasting police time 17 18 17 16 20 13 18 14 
			 Misuse of public telecommunications system 4 7 8 7 5 4 4 3 
			 Giving false alarm to fire and rescue authority 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 3 
			 Causing harassment, alarm or distress 440 527 516 548 601 677 501 417 
			 Throwing fireworks 2 4 0 12 1 0 0 11 
			 Drunk and disorderly 240 246 192 193 97 89 134 134 
			 Selling alcohol to under 18 8 17 11 58 21 45 21 24 
			 Purchasing alcohol for under 18 0 0 4 2 3 1 3 4 
			 Purchasing alcohol for under 18 for consumption on premises 0 0 1 0 4 2 4 2 
			 Delivery of alcohol to person under 18 or allowing such delivery 2 0 1 0 6 6 4 3 
			 Criminal Damage (under £500)(2) 88 73 92 105 93 95 68 67 
			 Theft (retail under £200) 259 207 195 235 234 279 221 306 
			 Breach of fireworks curfew 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Possession of category 4 firework 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Possession by a person under 18 of adult firework 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 
			 Sale of alcohol to drunken person 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Supply of alcohol to person under 18 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Trespass on a railway 0 1 3 4 4 0 1 1 
			 Throwing stones at a train/railway 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Drunk in a highway 12 8 9 5 8 4 6 6 
			 Consumption of alcohol in public place 0 0 4 1 2 8 44 17 
			 Depositing and leaving litter 6 12 8 6 10 15 3 6 
			 Consumption of alcohol to under 18 on licensed premises 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Allowing consumption of alcohol by a person under 18 on relevant premises 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Buying or attempting to buy alcohol for person under 18 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 1,078 1,120 1,065 1,198 1,110 1,241 1,033 1,018 
			 (1) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (2) Includes offences of vandalism and graffiti but is not exclusive to those offences.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services: Ministry of Justice. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 4: Fixed penalty notices issued for littering 
			  Number 
			   April 2006 to March 2007  April 2007 to March 2008 
			  Local authority  Fixed penalties issued  Cases being prosecuted  Fixed penalties issued  Cases being prosecuted 
			 Basildon DC 19 1 39 9 
			 Braintree DC 35 0 17 0 
			 Brentwood BC 0 0 (1) (1) 
			 Castle Point DC 7 0 (1) (1) 
			 Chelmsford BC 25 2 (1) (1) 
			 Colchester BC 105 9 (1) (1) 
			 Epping Forest DC 0 0 (1) (1) 
			 Harlow DC 98 0 (1) (1) 
			 Maldon DC 2 0 14 1 
			 Rochford DC 0 0 (1) (1) 
			 Southend-on-Sea BC 82 0 (1) (1) 
			 Tendring DC 72 0 78 10 
			 Thurrock BC 150 2 (1) (1) 
			 Uttlesford DC 0 0 (1) (1) 
			 (1) No data as of yet (5 November 2009).  Source: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

Ashwell Prison

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 16 June 2009,  Official Report, column 252W, on Ashwell Prison; when he plans to publish the report of the investigation into the riot at HM Prison Ashwell in April 2009; and for what reasons there has been a delay in publication.

Jack Straw: In his written ministerial statement to the House on 20 April 2009,  Official Report, columns, 2-3WS, my right hon. Friend the member for Delyn (Mr. Hanson) told the House that a committee of the corporate management board of the Ministry of Justice would scrutinise the report and pass it to Ministers. That process has been completed and the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) has drawn up an action plan in response to each of the recommendations in the report, all of which were accepted by Ministers. I am today placing a copy of the action plan in the Library.
	It would not be appropriate to publish a restricted report, containing sensitive information and while a police investigation is continuing. Key findings were, however that the incident could not have been foreseen; that the prisoners held at Ashwell were appropriate for the prison; and that staffing levels were also appropriate.
	A strategic review of Ashwell is well underway, and I will report to the House once further decisions have been taken.

Cautions: Fines

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) cautions were given and  (b) fines were imposed for offences of (i) vandalism, (ii) littering and (iii) antisocial behaviour in Mid Bedfordshire constituency in each of the last eight quarters for which records are available.

Claire Ward: The number of offenders given cautions, and those imposed with a court fine for selected offences of antisocial behaviour in the Bedfordshire police force area, by quarter, for 2006 and 2007 (latest available) is shown in tables 1 and 2 as follows.
	Apart from criminal damage (which includes minor acts of vandalism and graffiti up to a value of £300) and littering, Penalty Notices for Disorder (PNDs) can also be issued for a range of other antisocial behaviour offences including behaviour likely to cause fear, alarm and distress (section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986). The recipient of a PND has 21-days to either pay the penalty or seek a court hearing. No admission of guilt is required and the PND recipient discharges all liability for the offence and receives no criminal record if the penalty is paid. The number of PNDs issued in the Bedfordshire police force area in 2006 and 2007, by quarter, broken down by offence, is shown in table 3 as follows.
	Information held by the Ministry of Justice is not available at parliamentary constituency level and therefore data for Bedfordshire police force area are given in lieu.
	Court proceedings data for 2008 are planned for publication on 28 January 2010.
	Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) can be issued by local authorities for littering offences. These data are collected annually by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Information on fixed penalty notices issued for littering offences in Bedfordshire, by local authority area, are shown in table 4 as follows.
	
		
			  Table 1: The number of offenders cautioned( 1)  for antisocial behaviour offences for which a PND may be issued in Bedfordshire police force area, by quarter, for 2006 and 2007( 2) 
			2006  2007 
			  Statute  Offence description  Quarter  1  Quarte r  2  Quarter  3  Quarter  4  Quarter  1  Quarter  2  Quarter  3  Quarter  4 
			 Theft Act 1968 Sec 1. Stealing from shops and stalls (shoplifting)(3) 224 250 194 219 182 182 153 170 
			 Various Other criminal damage(4) 124 109 114 109 129 122 136 122 
			 Explosives Act 1875, Sec 80 Throwing, casting or firing any fireworks in or into any highway, street, etc public place         
			 Public Order Act 1986 Sec 5. Harassment, alarm or distress. 8 9 5 18 9 14 15 15 
			 Police Reform Act 2002 Sch.4 Para.5 (Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 S.12). Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 S12. Contravene a community support officers' requirement not to consume liquor. Penalty offence under S.l Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001alcohol consumption in designated public places. 2  1      
			 Criminal Justice Act 1967 Sec.91. Any person who in any public place is guilty, while drunk, of disorderly behaviour. 1  8 2 1 1   
			 Licensing (Occasional Permissions) Act 1983 Schedule (Sec 3) para 4(1). Licensing Act 1964 Sec169(1) Holder of occasional permission or his agent knowingly selling to, knowingly allow consumption by or allowing any person to sell, intoxicating liquor to a person under 18. Selling etc intoxicating liquor to person under 18 for consumption on the premises.         
			 Fire Services Act 1947 Sec 31. False alarms of fire.         
			 Environmental Protection Act 1990 Sec.87. Depositing litter.         
			 British Transport Commission act 1949 S.55,56. Railway Offences: Offences against Private Acts' relating to Railways (other than 169,1-6). Trespass, throwing stones.         
			 Criminal Law Act 1967 Sec 5(2). Causing wasteful employment of the police etc.         
			 Communications Act 2003 S.127 Improper use of public electronic communications network         
			  Total 359 368 322 348 321 319 304 307 
			 (1) The cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time the principal offence is the more serious offence. From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1988 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and warnings. These are included in the totals. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) A PND may be issued to an offender as an alternative to a caution or prosecution only where the value of the item stolen is less than £200. (4) Includes offences of vandalism and graffiti but is not exclusive to those offences.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical ServicesMinistry of Justice. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: The number of defendants fined at all courts for anti-social behaviour offences for which a PND may be issued in Bedfordshire police force area, by quarter, 2006 and 2007( 1, 2) 
			2006  2007 
			  Statute  Offence description  Quarter 1  Quarter 2  Quarter 3  Quarter 4  Quarter 1  Quarter 2  Quarter 3  Quarter 4 
			 Theft Act 1968 Sec 1. Stealing from shops and stalls (shoplifting)(3) 29 21 23 20 22 23 23 30 
			 Various Other criminal damage 2 7 4 11 8 1 2 3 
			 Explosives Act 1875, Sec 80 Throwing, casting or firing any fireworks in or into any highway, street, etc public place        1 
			 Public Order Act 1986 Sec 5. Harassment, alarm or distress. 6 12 10 12 12 22 11 11 
			 Police Reform Act 2002 Sch.4 Para.5 (Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 S.12). Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 S12. Contravene a community support officers' requirement not to consume liquor. Penalty offence under S.l Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001alcohol consumption in designated public places. 11 4 1  3 1 1 4 
			 Criminal Justice Act 1967 Sec.91. Any person who in any public place is guilty, while drunk, of disorderly behaviour. 8 16 7 19 20 11 23 17 
			 Licensing (Occasional Permissions) Act 1983 Schedule (Sec 3) para 4(1). Licensing Act 1964 Sec169(1) Holder of occasional permission or his agent knowingly selling to, knowingly allow consumption by or allowing any person to sell, intoxicating liquor to a person under 18. Selling etc intoxicating liquor to person under 18 for consumption on the premises. 5 15 1      
			 Fire Services Act 1947 Sec 31. False alarms of fire.         
			 Environmental Protection Act 1990 Sec.87. Depositing litter. 1 1 5 1 1    
			 British Transport Commission act 1949 S.55,56. Railway Offences: Offences against Private Acts' relating to Railways (other than 169,1-6). Trespass, throwing stones.     1  2  
			 Criminal Law Act 1967 Sec 5(2). Causing wasteful employment of the police etc.     1    
			 Communications Act 2003 S.127 Improper use of public electronic communications network     1    
			  Total 62 76 51 63 69 58 62 66 
			 (1) The cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time the principal offence is the more serious offence. From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1988 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and warnings. These are included in the totals. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Includes offences of vandalism and graffiti but is not exclusive to those offences.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical ServicesMinistry of Justice. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: The number of penalty notices for disorder issued in the Bedfordshire police force area, by offence and quarter, 2006 and 2007( 1) 
			   2006  2007 
			  Offence description  Quarter 1  Quarter 2  Quarter 3  Quarter 4  Quarter 1  Quarter 2  Quarter 3  Quarter  4 
			 Wasting police time  1 5 1 5 1 2 4 
			 Misuse of public telecommunications system 1 1 2     2 
			 Giving false alarm to fire and rescue authority         
			 Causing Harassment, alarm or distress 169 174 154 137 102 122 104 148 
			 Throwing fireworks    1     
			 Drunk and disorderly 56 65 87 82 74 57 69 62 
			 Selling alcohol to under 18 9 4   2 4 3 4 
			 Purchasing alcohol for under 18  1       
			 Purchasing alcohol for under 18 for consumption on premises         
			 Delivery of alcohol to person under 18 or allowing such delivery    1     
			 Criminal Damage (under £500)(2) 55 67 51 41 44 44 32 22 
			 Theft (retail under £200) 91 105 143 110 98 97 111 83 
			 Breach of fireworks curfew         
			 Possession of category 4 firework         
			 Possession by a person under 18 of adult firework         
			 Sale of alcohol to drunken person         
			 Supply of alcohol to person under 18         
			 Trespass on a railway  1       
			 Throwing stones at a train / railway         
			 Drunk in a highway 6 4 3 1 2   1 
			 Consumption of alcohol in public place 1 1 3 7 7 7 4 6 
			 Depositing and leaving litter 1 1  2 8 2 2 1 
			 Consumption of alcohol my under 18 on licensed premises         
			 Allowing consumption of alcohol by a person under 18 on relevant premises         
			 Buying or Attempting to buy alcohol for person under 18         
			 Total 389 425 448 383 342 334 327 333 
			 (1) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (2) Includes offences of vandalism and graffiti but is not exclusive to those offences.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical ServicesMinistry of Justice 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 4: Fixed Penalty Notices issued fo r l ittering: 
			   April 2006 to March 2007  April 2007 to March 2008 
			  Local authority  Number of fixed penalties issued  Number of cases being prosecuted  Number of fixed penalties issued  Number of cases being 
			 Bedford DC 17 3 71  
			 Mid Bedfordshire DC 9  n/a n/a 
			 South Bedfordshire BC 4  n/a n/a 
			 n/a - no data as of yet (5 November 2009)  Source: Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)

Children: Protection

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many care applications have been issued in  (a) Doncaster,  (b) Yorkshire and  (c) England in (i) the last quarter for which figures are available and (ii) the equivalent quarter in the previous year.

Bridget Prentice: The number of applications for care orders in Doncaster, Yorkshire and England in the second quarter (April to June) of 2008 and the second quarter of 2009, the latest quarter for which statistics are currently available, are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Care applications made in April to June of 2008 and April to June of 2009 in county courts and family proceedings courts (FPCs) in specified areas 
			   April to June 2008  April to June 2009 
			 Doncaster 14 52 
			 Yorkshire 216 443 
			 England 2,006 4,140 
			  Notes: 1. The data are taken from Her Majestys Courts Services (HMCSs) FamilyMan database and from monthly electronic returns sent in by those Family Proceedings Courts not using FamilyMan. 2. The figures reflect the number of applications counted by child. This means that where an application was made in respect of two children the application will be counted twice. 3. The figures exclude a small proportion of applications made to the High Court. 4. The figures for Yorkshire include applications made in the two HMCS areas of North and West Yorkshire and Humber and South Yorkshire. 
		
	
	Statistics on public law applications in the family courts of England and Wales are published on a quarterly basis by the Ministry of Justice in the statistical bulletin Court Statistics Quarterly and annually in the command paper Judicial and Court Statistics. Statistics for Q3 (July-September) of 2009 are due to be published in the next edition of Court Statistics Quarterly on 15 December, and will be available from the Ministry of Justice website at
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/courtstatisticsquarterly.htm

Crimes Against Humanity: Prosecutions

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent representations he has received on the prosecution of  (a) genocide and  (b) war crimes in UK courts.

Claire Ward: We have received representations recently from a number of sources, including from non-government organisations, parliamentarians and members of the public, about genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
	We have introduced new measures in the Coroners and Justice Bill to strengthen the law on these categories of crimes. Firstly, the provisions amend the International Criminal Court Act 2001 so as to cover the offences of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity to 1 January 1991 as far as the legal principles applicable to retrospection allow. Secondly, we are providing more certainty to the term UK resident in the 2001 Act by adding a list of specific categories of people who are to be treated as UK residents to the extent this would not otherwise be the case. These include those in custody and those in the UK applying for asylum (including failed asylum seekers). We have also included a non-exclusive list of factors that a court must have regard to in determining whether a person is a UK resident, including the purpose of being in the UK and family and other connections.

Debt Management Schemes

Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the self regulation of debt management schemes in protecting those who are in financial difficulties;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the likely effect of statutory regulation on debt management schemes as proposed in Option 3 of his Departments consultation published on 18 September 2009.

Bridget Prentice: The current economic downturn is causing real hardship for many hardworking consumers and the Government are determined to do all it can to help those in financial difficulties, while balancing this against creditors rights to recover their debts wherever possible, both now and in the future.
	The consultation paper Debt Management Schemesdelivering effective and balanced solutions for debtors and creditors was published on 18 September 2009 and looks at the current operation of the debt management market. It seeks views on whether any changes are needed in this area and, if so, what those changes should be.
	It sets out three broad options: continue with the measures currently underway to raise awareness about current schemes and enforce existing rules with operators (Option 1); improve current schemes without regulation, possibly through the introduction of a protocol (Option 2); or, implement the Lord Chancellors powers to approve debt management schemes contained in Chapter 4 of Part 5 of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 (Option 3).
	An initial impact assessment was published alongside the consultation paper which considered the potential effectiveness of all of the options contained in the consultation paper.
	The consultation paper and initial impact assessment can be accessed via the Ministry of Justice website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/consultations/debt-management-schemes.htm

Defamation: Internet

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent steps his Department has taken to seek to reduce the incidence of publication of defamatory material on the internet.

Bridget Prentice: The Ministry of Justice is concerned to ensure that the law on defamation operates fairly and effectively in relation to publications on the internet.
	We therefore published a consultation paper Defamation and the Internet: the multiple publication rule on 16 September 2009. This consultation seeks views on the effect of the multiple publication rule (which provides that each publication of defamatory material can form the basis of a new cause of action) in relation to online archives and will close on 16 December 2009.

Departmental Data Protection

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Departments information assurance procedures have been subject to an independent audit.

Michael Wills: The Ministry of Justice has subjected its information assurance procedures to an independent audit as mandated by the Cabinet Secretarys report into data handling processes across government and the Security Policy Framework.
	The Ministry of Justice has used the Information Assurance Maturity Model, supported by CESG (the national technical authority for information assurance), to benchmark progress.

Departmental Energy

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the  (a) energy rating and  (b) energy band of each building occupied by his Department and its agencies was in each of the last five years.

Michael Wills: Display Energy Certificates (DEC) were introduced in 2008. OGC publish central government departments Display Energy Certificate (DEC) operational ratings on a building by building level twice a year. The most recent data for the Ministry of Justice, published on 31 July 2009, which includes DEC ratings up to and including 28 February 2009 and can be viewed at:
	http://www.ogc.gov.uk/documents/Pan_Govt_DEC_Feb09.xls
	Data to October 2008 can be seen at:
	http://www.ogc.gov.uk/documents/Pan_Govt_DEC_Oct08.xls
	Data relating to the month ending 30 September 2009 will be published on 18 December 2009.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many staff in his Department were employed on the management of freedom of information requests submitted to his Department in each year since 2005; and how much his Department spent on the management of such requests in each such year.

Michael Wills: All freedom of information requests made to my Department are administered by the Data Access and Compliance Unit. Of the 27 staff in the Unit, 19 deal with the management of requests. The remainder are responsible for handling requests under the Data Protection Act 1998, or have managerial or administrative responsibilities.
	The Data Access and Compliance Unit was formed in October 2008, and brought together the freedom of information and data protection compliance functions of the former Department of Constitutional Affairs and the National Offender Management Service. Consequently, staffing figures for preceding years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Information as to my Departments expenditure on the management of freedom of information requests could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, an assessment of the cost of freedom of information within Government can be found in Frontier Economics 2006 Independent Review of the Freedom of Information Act, a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library.

Departmental Official Cars

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost of provision of Government cars to special advisers in his Department was in the last 12 months.

Jack Straw: No special advisers are provided with an allocated Government car and driver. As with all civil servants, special advisers may use an official car or taxi in properly defined circumstances. Details of such use is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Generally to work they walk, use public transport or scrounge a lift with me.

Departmental Procurement

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether there has been any nugatory cost to his Department and its agencies on procurement under tender because the tender process had been cancelled prior to the award of the contract in the last 12 months.

Michael Wills: No tenders were cancelled during the tender process and prior to the award of any contracts, therefore no costs were incurred by the Ministry of Justice.

Departmental Rail Travel

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department and its predecessor spent on first class rail travel for officials in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: Officials who undertake any business related rail travel do so in line the Ministry's travel and subsistence policies. Officials only undertake first class rail travel where there is a clear business justification to do so. It is Ministry policy to use standard class rail travel for business.
	The Ministry's financial accounting systems do not differentiate between the types of rail travel. Therefore, it is not possible to provide the full details of first class rail expenditure for the whole of the period 2006 to 2009. To do so would entail a disproportionate cost.
	Some information about expenditure is available from the Ministry's contracted supplier for rail travel covering the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), HM Courts Service and the Tribunal Service. For 2007-08 the expenditure was recorded as £4,121,537 and in 2008-09 it was £5,069,497. The 2008-09 expenditure was higher because staff in the Criminal Justice Group together with some staff in the NOMS previously worked in the Home Office and only began using the Ministry's travel supplier from November 2008.
	The Ministry has this year negotiated with its unions changes to eligibility for first class rail travel. The effect of this will be to restrict further the use of first class rail travel to an exceptional basis.

Departmental Statistics

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of the statistical datasets collected by his Department are published.

Claire Ward: The Ministry of Justice publishes a range of statistics in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics and overseen by the UK Statistical Authority. The vast majority of the Ministry of Justices statistics are published using administrative data from the IT systems used operationally within the Ministry and its Agencies.
	On 30 October 2009, the Head of Profession published the Ministry of Justices Statement of Administrative Sources, a requirement of the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. This can be found at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/statistics-policy-procedures.htm
	and a copy of which is attached. This shows the main sources of administrative data currently used to produce statistics by the Ministry of Justice. We will expand the Statement during December 2009 to show all administrative sources which are or could be used to produce Official Statistics.
	All surveys run under the Code of Practice are published.

Election Day: Weekend Voting Consultation

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to publish his response to the Election Day: Weekend Voting consultation.

Michael Wills: The Governments response to the Election Day: Weekend Voting consultation will be published shortly in the context of the Governments wider thinking on promoting engagement in the electoral process. The responses to the consultation reveal that there is a wide range of views on whether weekend voting would have a positive impact on turnout.

Forced Marriage: Prosecutions

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps are being taken to increase the number of forced marriage cases which are prosecuted.

Bridget Prentice: The Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007 was implemented in November 2008 providing greater protection for those at risk, preventing forced marriage and enabling courts to make Forced Marriage Protection Orders (FMPOs). These are civil provisions. We continue to work with agencies including the police and local authorities to ensure they are aware of the Acts provisions.
	Since implementation of the Act on 25 November 2008 up to 31 October 2009 a total of 79 FMPOs have been made.

Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether  (a) travel,  (b) subsistence and  (c) overnight accommodation expenses may be claimed by Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) members; and whether IPSA will be subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Jack Straw: The Parliamentary Standards Act states that IPSA is subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
	The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) is an independent body and the appointment of members of IPSA is a matter for the Speaker. Until a suitable mechanism is set up for answering parliamentary questions on IPSA, the hon. Member may wish to contact IPSA directly.

Injunctions

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will direct HM Courts Service to record the number of injunctive orders granted by the courts which provide that the existence of the injunction may not be disclosed; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: I will assess whether the number of such injunctions should be recorded as part of my consideration of the outcome of senior officials discussions with press representatives and the judiciary, to which I referred in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Paul Farrelly) on 28 October,  Official Report, column 422W. I will make a statement in due course.

Location

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects to respond to the Reunite report entitled Relocation which was funded by his Department and published in July 2009.

Bridget Prentice: The Ministry of Justice has not issued a formal response to reunite on their research project on relocation. My officials have discussed next steps with reunite. We are very grateful for the work reunite has done to highlight the complexity of the issues in this area.

Magistrates Courts

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many jobs have been  (a) lost and  (b) created at magistrates courts as a result of restructuring in 2009-10.

Bridget Prentice: Magistrates courts are part of Her Majestys Courts Service (HMCS). The number of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff in HMCS at 31 March 2009 was 19,100. This had reduced to 18,657 at end September 2009. During the year staff numbers will also fluctuate as individuals either leave, or are recruited, and it is not possible to say definitively how much of this overall reduction is directly a result of restructuring.

Magistrates Courts: Closures

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 20 October 2009,  Official Report, column 1373W, on magistrates courts: closures, how many magistrates courts opened in each type of area in each year since 1997.

Jack Straw: The following tables provide details of the magistrates court opened (broken down into each type of area) since 1997. This substantial investment in replacing courthouses that have passed their working life, demonstrates the Ministry of Justices commitment to the courts and the communities that they serve. At the heart of this investment are the needs of court users.
	
		
			  Number of magistrates courts opened in each year since 1997( 1) 
			   Rural 75  Rural 50  Significant rural  Other urban  Large urban  Major urban  Total number of courts opened 
			 1997 0 1 0 0 0 3 4 
			 1998 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 1999 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 2000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 2001 0 3 1 2 2 0 8 
			 2002 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 2003 (3)1 0 0 2 0 0 3 
			 2004 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 
			 2005 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 2006 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 
			 2007 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 
			 2008 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 
		
	
	
		
			   Rural 80( 2)  Rural 50  Significant rural  Other urban  Large urban  Major urban  Total number of courts opened 
			 2009 (3)1 1 0 0 0 0 2 
			 (1) The rural constituency classification (introduced by the Rural Evidence Research Centre on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in 2006) has been used to define whether court closures took place in rural/urban areas. The classification divides constituencies into the following six categories: Major Urban: districts with either 100,000 people or 50 per cent. of their population in urban areas with a population of more than 750,000. Large Urban: districts with either 50,000 people or 50 per cent. of their population in one of 17 urban areas with a population between 250,000 and 750,000. Other Urban: districts with fewer than 37,000 people or less than 26 per cent. of their population in rural settlements and larger market towns. Significant Rural: districts with more than 37,000 people or more than 26 per cent. of their population in rural settlements and larger market towns. Rural-50: districts with at least 50 per cent. but less than 80 per cent. of their population in rural settlements and larger market towns. Rural 75: Over 75 per cent. of the population live in rural settlements (including 207 large market towns). (2) The rural constituency classification (introduced by the Rural Evidence Research Centre on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) changed in April 2009 and one rural classification has changed from rural 75 to rural 80. Rural-80: districts with at least 80 per cent. of their population in rural settlements and larger market towns. (3) For Wales a Rural Authority is defined as any having a population density of below the Wales average of 140 persons per sq km.

Money for Ministers

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's guidance entitled Money for MinistersAn Introduction to Finance in the Ministry of Justice for Ministers.

Jack Straw: The internal guidance document Money for MinistersAn Introduction to Finance in the Ministry of Justice for Ministers is currently scheduled for updating by the Ministry of Justice Corporate Finance team and will be placed in the Library upon completion, during December 2009.

National Probation Service for England and Wales: Finance

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the likely level of expenditure on the Probation Service in the next five years.

Maria Eagle: The budget for the National Probation Service for the 2010-11 financial year is £870 million.
	Planning for the next spending review period, that is 2011-12 to 2013-14, will be considered as part of the next comprehensive review.

National Probation Service for England and Wales: Finance

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the year-on-year change in expenditure on the Probation Service has been in each of the last 15 years.

Maria Eagle: Change in expenditure by local probation areas is detailed in the following table:
	
		
			  £ million 
			  Financial year  Expenditure  Year-on-year change 
			 2008-09 (provisional) 897 52 
			 2007-08 845 38 
			 2006-07 807 37 
			 2005-06 770 83 
			 2004-05 687 13 
			 2003-04 674 69 
			 2002-03 605 29 
			 2001-02 576 71 
			 2000-01 505 34 
			 1999-2000 471 25 
			 1998-99 446 2 
			 1997-98 444 -4 
			 1996-97 448 34 
			 1995-96 414 -3 
			 1994-95 417 49 
			 1993-94 368  
		
	
	The figures for 2001-02 to 2007-08 are the net operating costs recorded in the annual consolidated accounts of local probation boards. The figure for 2008-09 is provisional as the boards consolidated accounts have not yet been signed off, and is taken from the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) 2008-09 accounts, including probation trusts. Before 2001-02, local probation committees were financed partly by local government and the figures are based on the expenditure implied by the main grant cash limit plus an allowance for probation hostels; these figures include some estimates.
	Following standard accounting practice, local boards and trusts pension contributions are not fully reflected in the figures. Expenditure on probation met centrally by the former National Probation Directorate and the National Offender Management Service is not included in local areas expenditure.
	Comparisons over time are difficult because of machinery of government changes and accounting methodology changes. After adjusting as much as possible for these factors and discounting for inflation, the real terms increase in expenditure on probation between 1996-97 and 2007-08 is about 70 per cent.

National Probation Service for England and Wales: Manpower

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many staff were employed in the Probation Service in each of the last 15 years.

Maria Eagle: The following table shows the number of staff employed in the National Probation Service in each of the last 15 years.
	
		
			   Total probation staff( 1,2,3)  Year on year growth (percentage)  Cumulative growth (percentage) 
			 1993 15,329   
			 1994 15,531 1.3  
			 1995 14,824 (4.6) (3.3) 
			 1996 14,388 (2.9) (6.1) 
			 1997 13,968 (2.9) (8.9) 
			 1998 13,806 (1.2) (9.9) 
			 1999 14,671 6.3 (4.3) 
			 2000 15,240 3.9 (0.6) 
			 2001 15,789 3.6 3.0 
			 2002 16,668 5.6 8.7 
			 2003 19,206 15.2 25.3 
			 2004 19,565 1.9 27.6 
			 2005 20,584 5.2 34.3 
			 2006 21,372 3.8 39.4 
			 2007 20,893 (2.2) 36.3 
			 2008 20,857 (0.2) 36.1 
			 (1) Figures for 1993-2007 are as at 31 December and are taken from the Home Office RDS Probation Statistics [1993-2003) and the Quarterly Workforce Information Reports produced by NOMS (2003-07). (2) Figures for 2008 are as at 30 September. (3) Figures for 2008 have been collected from Probation Areas/Trust via the HR Data Warehouse and are correct at publication. Areas/trusts have the ability to resubmit historical data which may result in occasional variation in subsequent reports.  Notes: 1. Total probation staff figures shown as full time equivalents. 2. Staff in post figures for 2009 are currently unavailable. 
		
	
	Probation has received significant increases in resources since this Government came to power in 1997. Our record shows that we take the probation service and its place in the Criminal Justice System very seriously. Total probation staffing (expressed as full time equivalents) was up from 13,968 in 1997 to 20,859 by September 2008 a 49.3 per cent. increase over the period.

Offenders: Databases

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what information on the dependent children of prisoners is held on the C-NOMIS database.

Maria Eagle: The C-NOMIS database, now known as Prison-NOMIS, holds information on the number of children of prisoners, it is not a mandatory entry, so information is incomplete.

Offensive Weapons: Sentencing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have received the maximum sentence of four years custody for possession of a knife.

Claire Ward: Since 12 February 2007 the maximum custodial sentence for knife or offensive weapon possession offences is four years. Therefore the answer gives data from March 2007 to June 2009 (the most recent published data from the Knife Crime Sentencing Quarterly brief). Further information is available at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/knife-crime-sentencing.htm
	According to data recorded by the police on the Police National Computer, during the period March 2007 to June 2009, six offences (committed by six offenders) of possession of a knife or offensive weapon received a four year custodial sentence in England and Wales.
	Maximum penalties are set at a level to provide for the most serious conceivable case of a particular offence and therefore are rarely imposed.
	More custodial sentences are being given for knife and offensive weapon possession and those that are sent to jail are serving longer sentences. The proportion of immediate custodial sentences given for possessing a knife or offensive weapon increased from 17 per cent. to 19 per cent. of all sentences between the second quarter of 2008 compared with the same period in 2009. The average sentence length in the second quarter 2009 was 194 days which is a 42 per cent. increase from the same quarter in 2008.
	These figures have been drawn from the polices administrative IT system which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.

Prison: Offences

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prison staff have been suspended following allegations of the possession of  (a) illegal drugs and  (b) illicit mobile telephones or SIM cards in the last three years.

Jack Straw: The disciplinary process in the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), including authority for suspending staff from duty, is devolved to a local level.
	Public sector Prison Service establishments have only been required to notify headquarters of their intention to suspend a member of staff from duty since October 2007. According to the records held centrally, on 28 October 2009 a total of 48 members of staff were suspended from duty while some aspect of their conduct was under investigation. While the reasons for suspension are recorded centrally, this would be under a broad heading and not to the level of detail required to answer your specific question.
	In order to provide a detailed response to the Honourable and Learned Members question, NOMS would need to contact all public sector Prison Service establishments, ask them to provide details of all staff suspensions for the last three years and update the central records accordingly. To retrieve these data would incur disproportionate cost.

Prisons: Drugs

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many of the recommendations of the Blakey Review into disrupting the supply of illegal drugs into prisons have been implemented fully; when he expects all recommendations to be fully implemented; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: Good progress has been made in implementing David Blakey's recommendations. The following recommendations have been fully implemented:
	instructing every prison to nominate a senior manager responsible for delivering the local drug strategy at the prison (recommendation one);
	publishing an updated good practice guide to assist prisons in tackling drug supply routes and a new guide on tackling mobile phones (recommendation two);
	providing all prisons with a body orifice security scanner (BOSS chair) and hand held metal detectors, to detect internally concealed metallic items such as mobile phones (recommendation five);
	strengthening the relationship with the Home Office Scientific Development Branch (recommendation eight); and
	in the Good Practice Guide, placing more emphasis on working with others (recommendation nine).
	In addition, work is in train:
	to evaluate and roll-out static mobile phone blockers, subject to funding (recommendation four)first phase in place, next phase to be completed by March 2010;
	to determine whether search dogs are used effectively (recommendation six)internal review completed, recommendations to be considered;
	to encourage use of the Offender Management Act (recommendation seven)ongoing, with key actions concluded by December 2009; and
	to strengthen prison intelligence gathering (recommendation 10)very much a continuous programme of work but with key elements in place by March 2010.
	On recommendation three, rather than implement peer reviews as originally agreed, the Government have now decided to incorporate supply reduction and mandatory drug testing fully into the prisons audit process. This will provide a more robust framework to encourage good practice and will be in place by December 2009.

Prisons: Drugs

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many instances of drug abuse were reported in each prison in England in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: Mandatory drug testing (MDT) provides the best available measure of drug misuse in prisons. The following table provides the number of positive MDT tests, administered on both a random and targeted basis, at each prison during 2008-09.
	These data have been drawn from administrative IT systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing returns, the detail is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. The data are not subject to audit. The number of positive tests does not equate to the number of prisoners that tested positive. It is possible that individual prisoners may test positive on more than one occasion.
	
		
			  Number of samples testing positive for each prison in England between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2009 
			  Prison  Number of samples testing positive 
			 Acklington 208 
			 Albany 21 
			 Altcourse 432 
			 Ashfield 40 
			 Ashwell 49 
			 Askham Grange 13 
			 Aylesbury 79 
			 Bedford 70 
			 Belmarsh 71 
			 Birmingham 214 
			 Blantyre House 3 
			 Blundeston 37 
			 Brinsford 38 
			 Bristol 114 
			 Brixton 265 
			 Bronzefield 22 
			 Buckley Hall 136 
			 Bullingdon 172 
			 Bullwood Hall 1 
			 Camp Hill 61 
			 Canterbury 15 
			 Castington 77 
			 Channings Wood 81 
			 Chelmsford 183 
			 Coldingley 87 
			 Cookham Wood 1 
			 Dartmoor 121 
			 Deerbolt 18 
			 Doncaster 250 
			 Dorchester 34 
			 Dovegate 176 
			 Downview 85 
			 Drake Hall 29 
			 Durham 187 
			 East Sutton Park 12 
			 Eastwood Park 70 
			 Edmonds Hill 34 
			 Elmley 283 
			 Erlestoke 96 
			 Everthorpe 201 
			 Exeter 49 
			 Featherstone 151 
			 Feltham 135 
			 Ford 140 
			 Forest Bank 587 
			 Foston Hall 17 
			 Frankland 65 
			 Full Sutton 59 
			 Garth 112 
			 Gartree 22 
			 Glen Parva 39 
			 Gloucester 77 
			 Grendon 7 
			 Guys Marsh 121 
			 Haverigg 246 
			 Hewell 193 
			 High Down 153 
			 Highpoint 105 
			 Hindley 38 
			 Hollesley Bay 75 
			 Holloway 61 
			 Holme House 340 
			 Hull 101 
			 Huntercombe 10 
			 Kennet 64 
			 Kingston 15 
			 Kirkham 163 
			 Kirklevington 71 
			 Lancaster 67 
			 Lancaster Farms 14 
			 Latchmere House 10 
			 Leeds 141 
			 Leicester 43 
			 Lewes 242 
			 Leyhill 88 
			 Lincoln 131 
			 Lindholme 180 
			 Littlehey 24 
			 Liverpool 308 
			 Long Lartin 65 
			 Low Newton 44 
			 Lowdham Grange 173 
			 Maidstone 119 
			 Manchester 238 
			 Moorland 63 
			 Moorland Open 27 
			 Morton Hall 7 
			 Mount 213 
			 New Hall 64 
			 North Sea Camp 85 
			 Northallerton 14 
			 Norwich 46 
			 Nottingham 150 
			 Onley 42 
			 Parkhurst 31 
			 Pentonville 267 
			 Peterborough Female 91 
			 Peterborough Male 214 
			 Portland 9 
			 Preston 128 
			 Ranby 239 
			 Reading 20 
			 Risley 171 
			 Rochester 50 
			 Rye Hill 56 
			 Send 23 
			 Shepton Mallet 5 
			 Shrewsbury 116 
			 Spring Hill 48 
			 Stafford 163 
			 Standford Hill 70 
			 Stocken 51 
			 Stoke Heath 29 
			 Styal 150 
			 Sudbury 196 
			 Swaleside 127 
			 Swinfen Hall 27 
			 Thorn Cross 37 
			 Verne 22 
			 Wakefield 21 
			 Wandsworth 226 
			 Warren Hill 1 
			 Wayland 66 
			 Wealstun 135 
			 Wellingborough 78 
			 Werrington 2 
			 Wetherby 11 
			 Wharton 9 
			 Whitemoor 54 
			 Winchester 83 
			 Wolds 109 
			 Woodhill 267 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 172 
			 Wymott 178

Prisons: Inspections

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 20 October 2009,  Official Report, columns 53-4WS, on temporary transfer of prisoners prior to inspection, whether the cases have been referred to the police for investigation under Prison Service Order 1300; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: The disciplinary investigation found no evidence of any criminal offence which would have warranted referral to the police for investigation. Had it done so, then the police would have been asked for advice, and possible action.

Prisons: Inspections

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 20 October 2009,  Official Report, columns 53-54WS, on temporary transfer of prisoners prior to inspection, if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the investigation into allegations of transferring vulnerable prisoners when the investigation is concluded; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: It is not Ministry of Justice policy for the contents of disciplinary investigations to be made public it would therefore not be appropriate to place in the Library a report into disciplinary issues affecting individuals, even when the investigation and resulting disciplinary proceedings are complete.

Prisons: Manpower

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made as to the number of  (a) former prison workers and  (b) former prisoners who retained passes or keys to prison premises on leaving their employment or imprisonment in the last three years.

Maria Eagle: The issue of security keys in prisons is subject to careful monitoring with reconciliation and checks undertaken regularly. Stringent procedures are in place to ensure security keys are returned by all staff each time they leave prison establishments. Any failure to return security keys or to take them outside of the prison is considered a serious breach of security. This risk will be assessed and could result in a full or partial re-lock of the prison where it is felt that the key suite has been seriously compromised.
	Measures for the reconciliation of security passes are described in Prison Service Order 1205. Staff are required to hand in their security passes to the identified pass co-ordinator on leaving the employment of the National Offender Management Service. The pass is then destroyed as security waste and the original pass application annotated accordingly. Data on the number of staff who failed to return their passes on leaving employment are not held centrally.
	Prisoners are not issued with security keys or passes to prison premises. They may have access to courtesy locks on cells, but such keys do not form part of the security suite keys.

Probation

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what services probation staff are to be required to deliver in order to meet efficiency requirements.

Maria Eagle: In line with Government policy across the public sector, probation boards and trusts are expected to meet efficiency requirements in order to maximise the value for money that they provide. These are focused on reducing back office functions and management overheads and maintain the priority given to resourcing front-line delivery. Boards and trusts are being supported by a national programme of specifying probation work and of benchmarking performance and cost to set clear standards for delivery and remove unjustified variation in costs. This programme, together with the intelligent use of probation work load data, enables local areas to manage the demands placed on individual staff more effectively.
	The Specification, Benchmarking and Costing Programme in NOMS has already identified a number of operational efficiencies. One such example is the change in balance between standard and fast delivery reports provided to courts. This process has supported areas in prioritising the delivery of front-line services while maintaining the excellent standard of work probation staff do to protect the public and reduce reoffending.

Probation Officers

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many 
	(1)  qualified probation officers there were in  (a) West Mercia and  (b) England in each year since 1997; what the equivalent figures are expected to be in the next five years (i) in total and (ii) as a percentage of the total staff numbers in the Probation Service and National Offender Management Service; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  staff who were not qualified probation officers were employed by the Probation Service and National Offender Management Service in  (a) the West Mercia probation area and  (b) England in each year since 1997; how many such staff are planned to be employed in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  members of staff at management grades there were in the Probation Service and National Offender Management Service  (a) nationally and  (b) in the West Mercia area in each year since 1997 (i) in total and (ii) as a percentage of the total number of staff; what the projected equivalent figures are for the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The information requested is currently being collated and I hope to be in a position to write to the hon. Member by the end of November.
	Responsibility for resourcing levels ultimately lies with each probation board or trust as they are the employers of probation staff. It is for them to take the action necessary at a local level to ensure they can deliver the required service within available resources.
	The probation services budget for 2010-11 has just been announced and once this money has been allocated to directors of offender management they will agree with each probation board and trust how that money is to be used.

Probation: Manpower

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) managers,  (b) qualified probation officers and  (c) unqualified probation officers there are in the West Mercia Probation Service.

Maria Eagle: The current position for managers, qualified probation offices and unqualified probation offices in West Mercia are as follows:
	153Probation officers.
	111Unqualified probation officers, including probation service officers, community punishment officers and trainee probation officers.
	68Managers of all grades.
	The probation services budget for 2010-11 has just been announced and we expect this money to be used to support front line services. The additional funding will be targeted to increase confidence in the community penalties and divert low risk offenders from short term custody. Directors of offender management will be required to negotiate specific service improvements with individual boards/trusts which will be incorporated in SLAs/contracts for 2010-11 to ensure that this additional funding is targeted on front line delivery. Detailed work will be undertaken by directors of offender management with areas/trusts to agree additional service delivery requirements and finalise individual allocations.
	The overriding priority for the probation service is public protection which will not be put at risk. Probation areas are looking to make any required savings through back office and management rationalisation and improvements in efficiency and processes, protecting front line delivery.

Probation: Manpower

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many qualified probation officers there are in the Probation Service.

Maria Eagle: On 30 September 2008 there were 7,884 full time equivalent (FTE) professionally qualified Probation Officers(1) up to Middle Manager level(2) in the Probation Service. In addition, there were also 944 FTE Trainee Probation Officers going through the qualification process at that time.
	A significant proportion of staff above Middle Manager level(3) also hold a professional qualification having progressed through the service to senior manager level. However collating and compiling this information would incur disproportionate costs as it would require all 42 Probation Areas/Trusts to be contacted individually to ask for this information.
	(1) Includes Senior Probation Officers, Senior Practitioners, Probation Officers and Practice Development Assessors.
	(2) Middle Managers are those who manage front-line operational staff.
	(3) Chief Officer, Deputy Chief Officer, Assistant Chief Officer and Area/District Manager.

Probation: Manpower

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many full-time equivalent staff the Probation Service employed in each of the last five financial years; and what estimate he has made of the number of staff to be employed in each of the next three years.

Maria Eagle: The following table shows the total number of staff in post in the probation service for 2004 to 2008.
	
		
			  Staff in post in the Probation Service 2004 to 2008( 1, 2) 
			   NPS 
			 2004 19,237 
			 2005 19,755 
			 2006 21,103 
			 2007 21,246 
			 2008 20,850 
			 (1 )Figures as at 31 March for each year. (2 )The figures on staff in post for 2004 to 2007 have been taken from the relevant quarterly Workforce Information Reports. The figure for 2008 has been taken from the HR Data Warehouse.  Note: Staff in post figures shown as full-time equivalents. 
		
	
	Staff in post figures for 2009 are currently unavailable.
	Over the five-year period, the overall staff in post in the probation service has increased by 8.4 per cent., with the number of qualified probation officers increasing by 4.4 per cent.
	Responsibility for resourcing levels ultimately lies with each probation board or trust as they are the employers of probation staff. It is for them to take the action necessary at a local level to ensure they can deliver the required service within available resources.
	The budget for 2010-11 has just been announced and once this money has been allocated directors of offender management will agree with each area how that money is to be used.
	As no final decisions have been taken on budgets for subsequent years, it is not possible to provide information for 2011-12 and 2012-13.

Probation: National Offender Management Service

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what targets he has set for the  (a) Probation Service and  (b) National Offender Management Service for efficiency savings in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) each of the subsequent five years; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) efficiency savings for the financial year 2009-10 are £171 million (near cash) and this includes efficiency savings for probation of £20 million (near cash).
	The indicative efficiency savings for financial year 2010-11 for NOMS are £205 million (near cash) and this includes efficiency savings for probation of £24 million (near cash).
	Targets for 2011-12 to 2013-14 will be considered as part of the next comprehensive review.
	The NOMS planned savings forms part of the £1 billion savings plan for the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) agreed in the comprehensive spending review 2007 settlement, which covered three years ending March 2011. NOMS and the MOJ remain absolutely committed to delivering the best services possible to our service users and the public. Ministers are determined to ensure savings are prudent, and wherever possible, release resources to the frontline operational delivery units.

Public Sector: Information

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what criteria apply to public bodies in determining whether a document  (a) has been identified as being available for re-use and  (b) is available for re-use under the Re-use of Public Sector Information provisions.

Michael Wills: Public sector bodies need to ascertain whether the documents fall within the scope of the Regulations on the Re-use of Public Sector Information (SI 2005/1515) taking into account whether: the document was supplied within the public sector organisations public task; the document falls within the scope of the Regulations; the intellectual property rights rest with the public sector organisation; and whether it has already been identified as being available for re-use.

Re-offenders

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders supervised under level 1 multi-agency public protection arrangements have reoffended in each of the last five years.

Jack Straw: Data on the multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA) is published in local Area MAPPA Annual Reports. The MAPPA Annual Reports have included in each of the last five years the number of offenders managed at levels 2 and 3 who have been charged with serious further offencesbut not all offences. Areas have not so far been asked to report on charges of re-offending against MAPPA level 1 offenders, so the data requested is currently unavailable.
	The purpose of the MAPPA Annual Report is to show what multi-agency intervention and resources bring to local public protection arrangements. The focus of the data, therefore, has been upon the offenders managed at level 2 and 3 rather than at level 1, where offenders are managed through ordinary agency management.
	However, in order to provide data on the whole offender population eligible for multi-agency management and resources, since April 2009 all areas have been required to record instances of offenders managed at level 1 of MAPPA who are charged with serious further offences (as well as those managed at levels 2 and 3), with a view to inclusion in next years annual reports.

Reparation by Offenders

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment has been made of the merits of applying community sentencing to people aged under 17 years.

Maria Eagle: Community sentences have played an integral part in the 23.6 per cent. fall in the frequency of juvenile reoffending rates between 2000 and 2007, from 151.4 offences per 100 offenders committed within one year, to 115.7 offences. We recognise that there is a lack of evidence of what works with young people which is why we have commissioned the Juvenile Cohort Study. This is designed to track some 10,000 young offenders from 30 different Youth Offending Teams over a period of approximately two years, between 2008 and 2010, to explore the experiences of different types of young offenders within the criminal justice system. The Juvenile Cohort Study will assess the impact of interventions and combination of interventions that are associated with a reduction in reoffending in different types of young offenders subject to the criminal justice system.

Supreme Court: Costs

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost to the public purse was of opening the Supreme Court.

Jack Straw: The Supreme Court was delivered on time and within budget. Closure of the final accounts is under way and the full costs for the court will be announced in a written ministerial statement in due course.
	Current estimated set-up costs (as announced in June 2007) are £58.9 million (made up of £36.7 million renovation costs which will be paid for by an annual lease charge of £2.1 million over 30 years and £22.2 million for repairs to external stonework, professional adviser fees, programme team costs, furniture, IT services and library costs).
	In addition, the security provision at Middlesex Guildhall has been reassessed in line with other high profile buildings in central London. While this increased overall construction costs, these remain within budget.

Tax Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) corporate tax and  (b) other tax cases were heard by the Tax Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal and its predecessor in each financial year since 1995-96.

Bridget Prentice: Neither the Ministry of Justice nor Her Majestys Revenue and Customs holds information on the Tax Chamber and its predecessors prior to 2004-05.
	The number of appeals disposed of at a hearing by the VAT and Duties Tribunal and the Special Commissioners of Income Tax from 2004-05 were:
	
		
			   VAT and Duties  Special Commissioners of Income Tax 
			  Financial year  Disposed at hearing  Disposedother  Disposed at hearing  Disposedother 
			 2004-05 728 2,246 120 108 
			 2005-06 675 1,970 109 126 
			 2006-07 763 3,151 126 223 
			 2007-08 754 1,678 108 155 
			 2008-09 1,105 2,270 125 153 
			 Source: TS Tax Business Plan 
		
	
	As part of the implementation of the First-tier Tribunal (Tax), data was collated and agreed by Her Majestys Revenue and Customs and the Tribunals Service for the year 2006-07. During that year, 9,545 cases were heard before the General Commissioners and five cases were held before the Section 706 Tribunals. No other data is available for years prior to April 2009.
	Since April 2009, the Tax Chamber has not differentiated between direct and indirect tax. It has heard 779 appeals. The Ministry of Justice does not hold information on the specific type of appeal, e.g. corporation tax. This information could be provided only at a disproportionate cost by checking individual records of all appeals.

Television: Licensing

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people in Leeds North West constituency were prosecuted for not having a television licence in each of the last three years.

Claire Ward: Information showing the number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts for television licence evasion in the West Yorkshire police force area from 2005 to 2007 (latest available) is shown in the following table. Information is not available at constituency level; therefore police force area level data have been provided in lieu.
	Data for 2008 are planned for publication on 28 January 2010.
	
		
			  Number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts for television licence evasion, in West Yorkshire police force area, 2005 to 2007( 1, 2) 
			  ForceWest Yorkshire  Number 
			 2005 5,333 
			 2006 5,293 
			 2007 5,928 
			 (1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical ServicesMinistry of Justice.

Women's Prisons: Per Capita Costs

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much on average it cost to maintain a place in a women's prison in each of the last three years.

Maria Eagle: The local establishments' average direct cost per place in women's prisons for the last three years is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  All female establishments 
			   Direct cost per place (£) 
			 2006-07 36,009 
			 2007-08 39,189 
			 2008-09 37,701 
		
	
	In 2007-08 Cookham Wood was re-rolled from female to male which partly explains the higher cost in 2007-08 relative to the other two years.
	The direct cost per place for 2008-09 is shown net of income from the Department of Health and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, whereas for earlier years it is gross. This partly explains the reduction in cost in 2008-09.
	Traditionally the HMPS annual accounts have published the cost per place using only costs met by establishments. For 2007-08 and 2008-09 a more comprehensive cost has been calculated which includes prison related costs met centrally by HMPS and NOMS, and these are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  All female establishments 
			   Total overall cost per place (£) 
			 2007-08 53,333 
			 2008/09 51,707 
		
	
	Year on year comparisons can be difficult to make, for example because of changes in accounting treatment or of prison categories.
	The costs relate to establishments whose predominant category of prisoner is female. Income from the Youth Justice Board (YJB) in respect of services recharged to the YJB is excluded.
	The overall average costs comprise the public sector establishments' direct resource expenditure, increased by an apportionment of costs borne centrally by HMPS and the National Offender Management Service; and the resource expenditure of contracted-out prisons also increased by certain costs borne centrally. This involves some estimation. The figures do not include prisoners held in police and court cells under Operation Safeguard, nor expenditure met by other Government Departments (e.g. for health and education). The prisoner escort service is included.

Young Offenders

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what further steps he is taking to involve the Princes Trust in working with young offenders in custody.

Maria Eagle: The Princes Trust undertakes work with young socially excluded people.
	They are currently actively engaged with 17 prisons either providing or supporting a range of activities including:
	mentoring
	peer mentoring
	accredited qualifications in community skills, social and personal development
	business start up
	volunteering opportunities
	supporting transition between custody and community
	access to employment
	Working with the third sector to reduce re-offending Securing effective partnerships 2008-11, provides a framework for securing a continuation of engagement with such organisations and provides endorsement to the kinds of activities in which they are engaged.

Young Offenders: Finance

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much funding the Government has provided to youth offending teams in each of the last five financial years.

Maria Eagle: Youth offending teams receive funding from a number of sources. The following table, taken from the forthcoming YJB annual work load publication 2008-09, shows financial contributions made to youth offending teams (YOTs) via the Youth Justice Board and other Government sources (including police, probation, social services and via local authorities) in the financial year 2008-09:
	
		
			£ 
			 2008-09 YJB 138,557,446 
			  Additional Government funding 222,813,499 
			  Total 361,370,945 
		
	
	The following tables, taken from the respective YJB annual work load publications, show financial contributions made to youth offending teams (YOTs) via the Youth Justice Board and other Government sources by financial year:
	
		
			£ 
			 2007-08 YJB 126,762,030 
			  Additional Government funding 213,282,081 
			  Total 340,044,111 
		
	
	
		
			£ 
			 2006-07 YJB 118,481,711 
			  Additional Government funding 203,088,565 
			  Total 321,570,276 
		
	
	
		
			£ 
			 2005-06 YJB 98,333,746 
			  Additional Government funding 195,210,650 
			  Total 293,544,396 
		
	
	
		
			£ 
			 2004-05 YJB 85,498,841 
			  Additional Government funding 182,322,955 
			  Total 267,821,796 
		
	
	Further details on the financial contributions can be found within the work load data publications available on the Youth Justice Board Website
	www.yjb.gov.uk

CAFCASS: Finance

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many temporary and agency workers the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service has employed since April 2008; and at what cost.

Dawn Primarolo: Cafcass devolve responsibility for procuring temporary and agency staff to the budget holders in each of their 21 service areas. Although spend on temporary and agency staff is collated by Cafcass centrally, the number of temporary and agency workers is not. The latest available set of full-year figures is from 2008/09 when £10.062 million was spent on self-employed contractors and agency practitioners and £3.930 million on temporary staff who had administrative roles.

Children: Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what sanctions are planned to apply to parents whose children breach an anti-social behaviour order.

Alan Campbell: I have been asked to reply.
	The Home Office is the lead Department for policy on antisocial behaviour orders. It is planned to introduce legislation to create mandatory parenting orders for parents of 10 to 15-year-olds who breach their antisocial behaviour orders as soon as parliamentary time allows.

Children: Poverty

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many and what percentage of children have been living in households with below 60 per cent. of  (a) contemporary and  (b) 1998-99 median income in (i) the Jarrow constituency, (ii) South Tyneside, (iii) the North East and (iv) the UK in each year since 2005-06;
	(2)  how many children have been defined as living in relative poverty in  (a) the North East and  (b) the UK in each year since 2007.

Helen Goodman: I have been asked to reply.
	Poverty statistics, published in the Households Below Average Income series, only allow a breakdown of the overall number of people in relative poverty at Government Office Region level or for Inner or Outer London. Therefore, information for the Jarrow constituency or South Tyneside is not available.
	The available information is in the following tables.
	
		
			  Number and percentage of children in the United Kingdom living in households with incomes below 60 per cent. of contemporary median income, 2005/06 to 2007/08, before housing costs 
			  Period  Number (millions)  Percentage 
			 2005/06 2.8 22 
			 2006/07 2.9 22 
			 2007/08 2.9 23 
		
	
	
		
			  Number and percentage of children in the North East living in households with incomes below 60 per cent. of contemporary median income, 2005/062007/08, before housing costs 
			  Period  Number (millions)  Percentage 
			 2005/06 - 2007/08 0.1 28 
		
	
	
		
			  Number and percentage of children in the United Kingdom living in households with incomes below 60 per cent. of 1998/99 median income, 2005/06 to 2007/08, before housing costs 
			  Period  Number (millions)  Percentage 
			 2005/06 1.6 13 
			 2006/07 1.7 13 
			 2007/08 1.7 13 
		
	
	
		
			  Number and percentage of children in the North East living in households with incomes below 60 per cent. of 1998/99 median income, 2005/06 - 2007/08, Before housing costs 
			  Period  Number (millions)  Percentage 
			 2005/06 - 2007/08 0.1 14 
			  Notes: 1. These statistics are based on households below average income, sourced from the Family Resources survey. The Family Resources survey is available in the Library. 2. Small changes should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 3. The reference period for households below average income figures are single financial years. For the North East, three years of data have had to be combined due to small sample size. 4. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or equivalised) for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 5. For the households below average income series, incomes have been equivalised using Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) equalisation factors. 6. Numbers of children in low income have been rounded to the nearest hundred thousand. 7. Proportions of children in low income have been rounded to the nearest percentage point. 8. The 1998/99 median income threshold has been held constant in real terms before applying this to the 2007/08 households below average income data.

Children's Commissioner for England

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what official engagements the Childrens Commissioner for England has undertaken since January 2008.

Dawn Primarolo: This is a matter for 11 Million (formerly the Office of the Childrens Commissioner). Paul Evans, Director of Corporate Services at 11 Million, has written to the hon. Member with this information and a copy of his reply will also be placed in the Libraries.
	 Letter from Paul Evans, dated 30 October 2009:
	In response to the Parliamentary Question No: 297300, for Commons Written reply on Monday 02/11/2009: to ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what official engagements the Childrens Commissioner for England has undertaken since January 2008.
	I can advise the following:
	Sir Al Aynsley-Green undertook 293 visits and speaking engagements between 1 January 2008-30 October 2009
	Sir Al Aynsley-Green undertook 254 meetings with external stakeholders between 1 January 2008-30 October 2009.
	Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require further information.

Class Sizes: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average class size for  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools in Peterborough was on the latest date for which figures are available.

Diana Johnson: The requested information on average class sizes is published as part of the Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics: January 2009 Statistical First Release (table 14a for primary schools and 14c for secondary schools) at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000843/index.shtml

Departmental Annual Reports

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to Table 8.4 of his Department's Annual Report 2009, pages 175-76, which programmes and allocations have been aggregated under the category  (a) Safeguarding and  (b) Special Educational Needs/Disabilities.

Diana Johnson: Detail on the constituent parts of safeguarding and special educational needs/disabilities expenditure, aggregated in DCSFs Departmental Annual Report 2009, are provided as follows for the year 2010-11.
	
		
			  Departmental allocation, 2010-11 
			   (£000) 
			  (a) Safeguarding( 1)  
			 Teenage Pregnancy/Substance Misuse 10,185 
			 Safeguarding Children  Supporting Families Grant 1,130 
			 Safeguardingtotal 11,315 
			   
			  (b) Special Educational Needs (SEN)/Disabilities  
			 SEN  NMSS, including Safeguarding Advisers, Medical  Legal costs and Family Support (Contact) 251,980 
			 Children in Care and SEN NMSScapital 5,700 
			 Special Educational Needs/Disabilitiestotal 257,680 
			 (1 )Please note that additional expenditure on these programmes occurs outside the departmental body as part of local authority spending.  Notes: 1. SEN = Special educational needs 2. NMSS = Non-maintained special schools 3. Safeguarding Advisers: Previously known as allegation management advisers (AMA).

Education: Young Offender Institutions

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what resources per head were allocated to  (a) the young offender institution estate and  (b) Reading Young Offender Institution for the education of prisoners in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: The following table shows the calculated spend on education per bed place in Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) for each academic year, for which statistics are available. This includes learning delivered through the Offenders Learning and Skills Service (OLASS) to young people aged 15-17 in Prison Service Young Offender Institutions in England. The figures do not include spend on learning delivered outside of the scope of LSC funded provision which is not collected centrally; neither does it include funding for young adults aged 18-20 in YOIs, as this information is not easily disaggregated (it would require information to be requested and compiled by each LSC region). The average spend per place has been calculated using the figures for the number of beds commissioned in the Prison Service juvenile YOI secure estate as at the end of March in each of the relevant years.
	
		
			   £ 
			  Academic year  Calculated spend per bed place 
			 2006/07 6,826 
			 2007/08 7,556 
			 2008/09 7,628 
		
	
	Prior to 2006/07 OLASS had not been rolled out nationally and therefore figures are not available.
	The following table provides the total funding by the LSC for Reading Young Offender Institution, housing 18-20 year olds, for the academic years for which figures are available. Education for those aged 18 and over in young adult custody is not compulsory and therefore allocations are not calculated on a per head basis. These figures do not include spend on learning outside of the scope of LSC funded provision. Those figures are not collected centrally.
	
		
			   £ 
			  Academic year  Total allocation 
			 2006/07 568,771 
			 2007/08 580,146 
			 2008/09 (1)629,443 
			 (1) Includes £49,250 for the purchase of learning equipment.

Schools: Cadets

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) comprehensive,  (b) maintained and  (c) independent schools had an operational Combined Cadet Force in (i) 2005, (ii) 2007, (iii) 2008 and (iv) 2009.

Kevan Jones: I have been asked to reply.
	The number of state and independent schools that had an operational combined cadet force in the years requested is shown in the table:
	
		
			   State schools  Independent schools 
			 2005 53 197 
			 2007 60 200 
			 2008 60 201 
			 2009 59 201 
		
	
	These figures do not include membership in the community cadet forces. When these are taken in to consideration over 100,000 of the total of around 130,000 cadets, are children at state schools.

Schools: Curriculum

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will include lessons on body confidence in the national curriculum at key stages 2 and 3.

Diana Johnson: Personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education already includes the provision of information about how to lead healthy lifestyles, also body image and health issues and offers an opportunity for children and young people to develop confidence on these issues.
	At key stage 2, the current non-statutory content includes learning about healthy lifestyles and how the body changes with the approach of puberty; key stage 3 covers learning about physical and emotional changes that take place at this time and the factors that contribute to an individuals personal wellbeing.
	The programmes of study are written at a high level and set out only the broad topics that should be covered in PSHE. This therefore allows flexibility for schools on how they present learning in areas like body confidence.
	Guidance is to be produced in early 2010 to support schools teaching PSHE education and individuals and organisations with a particular interest in body confidence will be consulted on how best this can be covered in the guidance.

Special Educational Needs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 9 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 1730-1W, on special educational needs, how many pupils in each category were classified as gifted and talented.

Diana Johnson: The available information is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Academies: Number of pupils in national curriculum year groups 10 and 11 who had a statement of special educational needs, had unstatemented special educational needs and are gifted and talented( 1,2) position in January each year 2007 to 2009, England 
			   Academies 
			Number of pupils who had a statement of special educational needs and who were gifted and talented  Number of pupils who had unstatemented special educational needs and who were gifted and talented 
			   Number of schools  Year group 10  Year group 11  Year group 10  Year group 11 
			 2007 46 10 (3) 60 40 
			 2008 83 10 10 220 190 
			 2009 133 20 10 380 360 
			 (1) Excludes dually registered pupils. (2 )Information on gifted and talented status is available from 2007. (3) Denotes figures of less than five.  Note: Pupil numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: School Census

Special Educational Needs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many letters his Department has written to headteachers on special educational needs in the last 12 months; and if he will place a copy of each such letter in the Library.

Diana Johnson: The Department has sent two letters to schools specifically about special educational needs (SEN) over the past year: Sarah McCarthy-Fry wrote to schools on 22 January 2009 about improving outcomes for children with SEN and tackling bullying; and the Department wrote to schools in a letter dated 27 January 2009 about children with SEN from service families. These letters have been placed in the House Libraries.
	In addition, SEN and disability featured in the Secretary of State's annual back to school letter to head teachers in September 2008. This letter emphasised the priority he attaches to narrowing the attainment gap in outcomes for disadvantaged children, including those with SEN.

Special Educational Needs: Pupil Exclusions

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 11 February 2009,  Official Report, column 2117W, on special educational needs: pupil exclusions, how much of each category of expenditure detailed in the answer was incurred  (a) in each local authority area and  (b) in respect of each type of special educational need.

Vernon Coaker: It is assumed that the question asked relates to categories of exclusion and not categories of expenditure. On this basis the breakdown by local authority area for the earliest and latest years available2003/04 and 2007/08has been placed in the Libraries. Data for other years could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The breakdown by type of special educational need can be found in the reply given on 24 March,  Official Report, column 366W.

Climate Change: International Co-operation

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change for which aspects of the Governments contribution to commitments agreed at the International Monetary Fund-World Bank annual meetings in Istanbul in 2009 his Department will be responsible.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 2 November 2009
	There were no specific commitments agreed for which the Department will be responsible. The IMF-World Bank communiqué reiterated support for the World Bank Groups efforts to tackle long-term development challenges, including climate change, in line with its comparative advantage. We welcome the engagement of all international financial institutions in addressing the challenge and opportunity of low carbon climate resilient growth, and encourage them to make their existing investments climate-smart.

Climate Change: International Co-operation

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has made on ensuring that a forthcoming climate change agreement is consistent with the Governments commitment to international development.

Joan Ruddock: A comprehensive, fair and equitable deal at Copenhagen that tackles climate change effectively has the potential to be the most important development agreement of the decade. An agreement that puts the needs of developing countries and poor people at its heart is essential for sustainable growth and poverty reduction. These issues are central to all our international discussions on the shape of a Copenhagen deal.

Fuel Poverty: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of households in  (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford and  (b) the London Borough of Bexley in fuel poverty.

David Kidney: The most recently available sub-regional split of fuel poverty relates to 2006, and shows that there were around 3,200 fuel poor households in the Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and around 8,100 fuel poor households in Bexley local authority.

Green Communities Challenge

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he plans to take to implement a green communities challenge; when it will be introduced; and how it will operate.

Joan Ruddock: The Low Carbon Communities Challenge is a two-year programme to provide financial and advisory support to 20 test-bed communities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland that are seeking to cut carbon emissions. It does not cover communities in Scotland. The challenge was launched on 28 September this year.
	The 20 successful communities will each receive support to pay for real measures selected by the local residents themselves. These could range from a local biomass plant to retrofitting homes to electric car charge points. In return for technical and financial assistance, people living and working in the area will work alongside government and contribute to finding low carbon solutions from which the whole country will benefit.
	The following steps will occur: Applications for the Challenge will be received by 27 November for phase 1 applicants (applying for funding in 2009-10), and 30 December for phase 2 applicants (applying for funding in 2010-11). The final decision on the selection of communities will be made in January 2010. Phase 1 applicants will be notified at this point on the allocation of funding. Phase 2 applicants will be allocated funding during the financial year as they work up their spending plans.

Renewable Energy: Developing Countries

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to ensure effective technology transfer to enable  (a) Bangladesh,  (b) Ethiopia,  (c) India,  (d) Kenya and  (e) Nepal to harness renewable energy and combat climate change.

Joan Ruddock: holding answer 5 November 2009
	The Government are pushing for an ambitious, effective and fair agreement at the 15(th) Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, in Copenhagen, that will drive the development of climate technologies and their deployment in developing countries, including Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Kenya and Nepal. At the recent Environment Council, the UK and our European partners highlighted our desire for a
	Global partnership to drive transformational low carbon climate-friendly technologies.

Warm Front Scheme

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues on the implementation of the Warm Front scheme in the North West;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues on the length of time it takes for Warm Front grant applications to be processed.

David Kidney: I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues, officials and a range of stakeholders about action to tackle fuel poverty, including discussions about the implementation and performance of the Warm Front Scheme across England.
	On 29 October, I chaired an inter-ministerial group on fuel poverty during which the Warm Front Scheme and its delivery was discussed.

Bed and Breakfast Accommodation: Children

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homeless children aged 16 years and under were accommodated in bed and breakfast accommodation provided by local authorities for more than six weeks in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Austin: Children's Services authorities have responsibility for meeting the needs of homeless children under 16 if they are a child in need. Children's Services authorities and housing authorities both have certain obligations towards homeless 16-year-old children. Under the homelessness legislation (Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) housing authorities must secure accommodation for applicants who are eligible for assistance, homeless through no fault of their own and who have a priority need for accommodation. Families with dependent children aged 16 have a priority need for accommodation.
	Information about English local housing authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation is collected quarterly at local authority level. Data collected include the number of applicants accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty (to secure that suitable accommodation is available). If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority must secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available.
	Information on the number of applicant households with dependent children (and expected children) in bed and breakfast hotels and other privately managed shared facility annexes (BB style temporary accommodation), who had been resident there for six weeks or more, is reported quarterly by local authorities as at the last day of each quarter. This figure will include applicant households with children under 16-years-old or dependent children aged 16 to 18, although the number of such dependent children within these households cannot be identified.
	The number of applicant households with dependent children (or expected children) in BB style temporary accommodation in England, who had been resident in such accommodation for six weeks or more at the end of March in each of the last seven years is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  At the end of financial year (31 March) 2008-09  Number of households with dependent children in B  B temporary accommodation for six weeks or more 
			 2008-09 70 
			 2007-08 160 
			 2006-07 80 
			 2005-06 110 
			 2004-05 110 
			 2003-04 30 
			 2002-03 2,910 
		
	
	Prior to financial year 2002-03 this information was not held centrally.
	The number of households headed by an applicant aged 16 or 17 in BB style temporary accommodation in England, who had been resident in such accommodation for six weeks or more at the end of March in each of the last two years, is shown in the following table. It is not possible to separately identify those households headed by a 16-year-old applicant.
	
		
			  At the end of financial year (31 March)  Number of 16 to 17-year-old households in B  B temporary accommodation for six weeks or more 
			 2008-09 120 
			 2007-08 250 
		
	
	Prior to financial year 2007-08 this information was not held centrally.
	The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) collect information from Children's Services authorities on looked after children. It is not possible to identify, of these children, how many of them had previously been homeless and as a result are looked after by the Children's Services.

Council Housing: Antisocial Behaviour

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department provides to local authorities on their powers to  (a) evict unruly tenants and  (b) take action against tenants (i) whose refuse causes a hazard to neighbours, (ii) who frequently burn rubbish in their gardens and (iii) who have dogs which are a nuisance to neighbours.

Ian Austin: The Government have equipped local authorities and social landlords with a range of effective powers to deal robustly with antisocial tenants and has provided them with extensive advice on their use. The Respect website:
	http://www.asb.homeoffice.gov.uk
	provides a regularly updated resource for agencies tackling antisocial behaviour and includes a comprehensive guide to antisocial behaviour tools and powers published last year:
	http://www.asb.homeoffice.gov.uk/members/article.aspx?id:=12204
	Through both the 'Together' and subsequent 'Respect' campaigns we organised a series of events to inform local authorities and social landlords about, and encourage them to use, the tools and powers available to them tackle antisocial behaviour.

Council Housing: Standards

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what decent homes standard applies to local authority tenants.

Ian Austin: The Decent Home standard applies to all social rented housing. Information on the standard can be found in Sections 4 and 5 of A Decent Homes: definition and guidance for implementation, June 2006. This is available at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/decenthome

Departmental Air Travel

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many first-class flights were taken by each Minister in his Department in 2008-09; and what the  (a) origin,  (b) destination and  (c) cost was of each such flight.

Barbara Follett: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, the Cabinet Office publishes an annual list of overseas travel over £500 undertaken by Ministers. The List for 2008-09 can be accessed at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/media/226022/travel_2008_2009.pdf
	Travel by Ministers is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff in his Department were employed on the management of freedom of information requests submitted to his Department in each year since 2005; and how much his Department spent on the management of such requests in each such year.

Barbara Follett: During 2005, 2006 and 2007 six staff were employed in the central Freedom of Information Advice Team that manages FOI requests in CLG. This reduced to five staff in 2008 and 2009. This represented a staff resource expenditure of £224,000 in 2006-07, £237,000 in 2007-08, £234,000 in 2008-09 and a projected figure of £231,000 in 2009-10. Comparable cost figures are not available for 2005-06.
	These figures only covers the management of the service and the response to general questions which can be answered by a central team, that is staff whose involvement in FOI requests accounts for more than half of their time. The detailed policy specific FOIs are generally answered by policy officials within the policy teams but the time spent by them on this activity is not separately measured. Nor is the cost of lawyers time involved in advising on handling of FOI requests.

Departmental Manpower

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the  (a) salary band and  (b) area of responsibility is of each of the full-time equivalent staff members employed in his Department's Housing Directorate.

John Healey: The following table shows the number of full-time equivalent staff by salary band for each of the Directorates within our Housing and Planning Directorate. The information was taken from our financial staff action plans as at 30 October 2009.
	All civil servants are employed to provide impartial advice to ministers and are engaged on fixed-term, permanent or other recognised contractual terms.
	
		
			  Table showing numbers of full-time equivalent staff in the Housing and Planning Group as at 31 August 2009 
			  Grade  Director General's Office  Housing Delivery and Homelessness  Housing Markets  Housing Management and Support  Group total 
			 SCS3 (DG) 1.0    1.0 
			 SCS2 (Dir)  1.0 2.0 1.0 4.0 
			 SCSI (DD)  4.9 4.0 3.3 12.2 
			 PB7 (G6)  5.8 6.0 2.0 13.8 
			 PB6 (G7)  25.6 18.7 23.8 68.1 
			 PB5 (SEO)  19.0 9.8 13.0 41.8 
			 PB4.3 (HEOD)  3.0 4.0  7.0 
			 PB4 (HEO) 1.0 18.6 13.6 33.5 66.7 
			 PB3 (EO) 0.8 15.8 10.0 35.3 61.9 
			 PS      
			 PB2 (AO) 1.0 3.0 3.0 56.5 63.5 
			 PB1 (AA)      
			 Totals 3.8 96.7 71.1 168.4 340.0

Departmental Official Cars

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost of provision of Government cars to special advisers in his Department was in the last 12 months.

Barbara Follett: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Tooting (Mr. Khan) on 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1492W.

Departmental Postal Services

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage of postal services for his Department and its agencies were provided by  (a) Royal Mail and  (b) other postal service providers (i) in 2007, (ii) in 2008, (iii) between 1 January 2009 and 1 July 2009 and (iv) after 1 July 2009.

Barbara Follett: The percentage of postal services for the Department for Communities and Local Government provided by  (a) Royal Mail and  (b) other postal service providers (i) in 2007, (ii) in 2008, (iii) between 1 January 2009 and 1 July 2009 and (iv) after 1 July 2009 is:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   January to December 2007  January to December 2008  1 January to 30 June 2009  1 July to 31 October 2009 
			  CLG (C) 
			 Royal mail 99 99 99 99 
			 Other 1 1 1 1 
			  Fire Service College 
			 Royal Mail 100 100 100 100 
			 Other     
			  Planning Inspectorate 
			 Royal Mail 49 67 60 83 
			 Other 51 33 40 17 
			  QE11  Conference Centre 
			 Royal Mail 100 100 100 100 
			 Other    

Departmental Recruitment

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 1 September 2009,  Official Report, column 1834W, on departmental recruitment 
	(1)  what additional expertise and capacity was required for the two Policy Adviser roles that could not be delivered through  (a) offering the job to existing departmental staff and  (b) advertising the job publicly;
	(2)  whether the two Policy Adviser roles were open to applications from existing civil servants.

Barbara Follett: The role of policy adviser, local government restructuring, was offered to existing departmental staff before being filled by a fixed-term appointee. The appointee was selected as the strongest candidate from a group of people sifted by a recruitment agency and interviewed by departmental managers.
	The role of policy adviser, strategy and performance, was filled by a fixed-term appointee in order to provide additional policy advice and flexible support to Ministers across the range of departmental business. The appointment was made upon appraisal of the individuals skills and experience which was viewed as meeting the job criteria.
	There is no automatic requirement to advertise fixed-term appointments publicly. This is in line with the civil service recruitment principles, which allow for staff to be brought in temporarily as an exception to fair and open competition in order to supplement the skills and experience available to the Department.

Homes and Communities Agency: Security

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was spent by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) on security for  (a) undeveloped,  (b) unsold and  (c) other HCA-owned sites in each region in each of the last six months for which figures are available.

John Healey: The following table sets out net expenditure incurred for security by the HCA for each region for the six months from April to September, these are the latest figures that are available. All land owned by the HCA is unsold and undeveloped so it is not possible to provide a breakdown of costs in the way asked.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Region  April  May  June  July  August  September 
			 East 2,377 0 -240 60,872 75,448 19,974 
			 East Midlands 1,500 0 450 150 5,663 0 
			 London 93,264 140,209 134,693 141,714 58,091 93,173 
			 Milton Keynes 21,385 14,526 14,306 15,002 25,463 14,306 
			 North East 1,468 35,901 38,203 39,591 30,767 42,810 
			 North West 16,149 34,312 24,105 23,798 66,619 11,394 
			 South East(1) 1,785 14,067 14,781 -44,013 29,347 18,435 
			 South West 11,510 37,181 35,467 7,717 44,272 21,102 
			 West Midlands 12,846 10,368 25,113 33,438 31,476 4,519 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 847 2,349 15,372 7,423 11,156 7,978 
			 Other security expenditure not broken down by region(2) -9,032 19,853 12,089 23,153 35,604 20,549 
			 (1) Julys figure represents a recharge to the HCA as a result of HCAs delivery partner taking over the existing contract for security provision (2) These figures represent expenditure on security which cannot be broken down to a regional level.  Note: Figures rounded up or down as appropriate to the nearest £.

Housing

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many first-time house buyers there have been in each year since 1996.

Ian Austin: The number of first time buyers purchasing a home with a mortgage in the UK in each year since 1996 are presented as follows.
	
		
			  Number of first- time buyers purchasing with a mortgage, UK 
			   Number 
			 1996 465,300 
			 1997 501,500 
			 1998 525,200 
			 1999 592,400 
			 2000 500,200 
			 2001 568,200 
			 2002 531,800 
			 2003 369,600 
			 2004 358,100 
			 2005 372,200 
			 2006 400,500 
			 2007 357,100 
			 2008 193,600 
			  Source: Council of Mortgage Lenders 
		
	
	We are ensuring support is in place to help first-time buyers through our HomeBuy schemes operated through the Homes and Communities Agencys Affordable Housing Programme.
	We have helped more than 110,000 households into home ownership since 1997 through our shared ownership and shared equity schemes.

Housing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many full-time equivalent staff in his Department have responsibility for  (a) the mortgage rescue scheme,  (b) the homeowner mortgage support scheme,  (c) the low cost home ownership scheme,  (d) homelessness and  (e) home information packs.

John Healey: The Department has three full-time equivalent employees working on the mortgage rescue scheme, 4.6 working on homeowners mortgage support and lender forbearance, nine working on low cost home ownership policy including delivery of the HomeBuy scheme, seven working on homelessness and three working on home information packs.

Housing: Complaints

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many complaints relating to  (a) shared home ownership,  (b) anti-social behaviour,  (c) repairs,  (d) social housing allocations,  (e) occupancy rights and  (f) estate services were received by the Housing Ombudsman in each of the last three years.

Ian Austin: holding answer 9 November 2009
	The number of complaints relating to antisocial behaviour, repairs, social housing allocations, occupancy rights and estate services received by the Housing Ombudsman in each of the last three years was as follows:
	
		
			   2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Antisocial behaviour 521 577 580 
			 Repairs 897 1,025 1,122 
			 Allocations 318 384 348 
			 Occupancy rights 145 128 116 
			 Estate services 115 128 774 
		
	
	These figures originate from the growing awareness of the role of the Housing Ombudsman, and from the impact of the TSA and their work on the National Conversation, highlighting the complaints procedures available for tenants. Recent research by the Ombudsman indicates that there is growing awareness that the Ombudsman exists (up from roughly 30-50 per cent. of tenants).
	Estate services are a catch all category for those complaints not easily fitting the other categories for example, around landlord failure to communicate effectively.
	The Housing Ombudsman service does not record separately the number of cases involving shared ownership.

Housing: Energy

Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the  (a) methodology and  (b) underlying data used in the calculation of the efficiency values attributed to heat pumps in the draft Standard Assessment Procedure 2009; and from what sources the underlying data were derived.

Joan Ruddock: I have been asked to reply.
	It is proposed that Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) 2009 will use actual, reliable and verified, seasonal performance data provided by manufacturers. Where such performance data has not been made available the default efficiency values listed in SAP 2009 will be used. The default values in SAP 2009 are the same as those listed in SAP 2005 and were derived in consultation with industry experts taking account of the field trial information available. The SAP methodology and default values will be informed by the procedure being developed with industry to determine actual seasonal performance values, for which supporting performance data is expected in early 2010, and the Energy Saving Trust's heat pump field trials.

Housing: Finance

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding for  (a) Decent Homes,  (b) Kick Start,  (c) housing capital allocations and  (d) other housing capital schemes has been provided by (i) his Department and (ii) the Homes and Communities Agency to (A) Barnet Council and (B) Barnet Homes arms length management organisation in the last 10 years; what the name was of each identifiable scheme which received funding; how much was provided for each such scheme; and how many (1) social rented, (2) low-cost purchase and (3) full-cost purchase properties there were in each such scheme.

Ian Austin: The question contains a number of sub-divisions the following response lists the available information and specifies the relevant sub-divisions.
	 (a) Decent Homes (A) Barnet Council (i) Provided by the Department
	The following table sets out the Arms Length Management Organisations (ALMO) funding the Department has allocated to Barnet Council for its ALMO Barnet Homes as part of its Decent Homes programme. Funding was only available from 2004-5.
	
		
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 Authority ALMO allocations 4,005,000 15,094,200 15,752,520 18,931,680 15,198,000 10,608,000 
			 Number of dwellings at 1 April 11,611 11,328 11,147 11,118 11,117 11,086 
		
	
	 (b) Kick Start (ii) Provided by HCA
	Local authorities are not eligible to apply for Kickstart, as there is a separate funding pot available to local authorities, nor is it anticipated that ALMOs will apply as they are unlikely to own sites which meet the range of criteria outlined. The aim of the programme is to unlock stalled sites in England for the development of high-quality, mixed tenure homes. Where a local authority has appointed a delivery partner, for example through a disposal or development agreement to bring forward a site for housing development, the delivery partner can apply.
	Barnet Homes have not applied for the Kickstart programme.
	 (c) Housing Capital Allocations (A) Barnet Council (i) Provided by the Department (1) Social rented
	
		
			  Barnet council 
			   Housing investment programme (£ million)( 1)  Local authority supported capital expenditure (£ million)( 2)  LB Barnet major repairs allowance total allowance (£ million)( 3)  Number of dwellings at 1 April 
			 1999-2000 6.96 0.00 0.00 12,790 
			 2000-01 10.19 0.00 0.00 12,559 
			 2001-02 14.32 0.00 8.536 12,284 
			 2002-03 15.35 0.00 8.566 12,017 
			 2003-04 14.90 0.00 8.842 11,838 
			 2004-05 0.00 4.31 8.297 11,611 
			 2005-06 0.00 7.50 8.112 11,328 
			 2006-07 0.00 2.13 7.939 11.147 
			 2007-08 0.00 2.13 8.104 11,118 
			 2008-09 0.00 2.21 8.060 11,117 
			 2009-10 0.00 2.26 8.543 11,086 
			 (1) Housing Investment Programme (HIP)represented the Housing element of the local authority's Basic Credit Approval allocations, under the pre-2003 system. BCAs provided local authorities with approval to borrow for any capital purpose, including housing. (2) Local Authority Supported Capital Expenditure (Revenue)(SCE(R))s represent a level of borrowing on which the Government are prepared to provide a revenue income stream to support the costs of the loans. The income stream calculated as part of the authority's Housing Revenue Account (HRA) subsidy entitlement. (3) Major Repairs Allowance (MRA)MRA allocations are paid as revenue as part of the local authority's HRA subsidy entitlement, but can only be used for capital expenditure or repayment of debt. 
		
	
	 (d) Housing Capital Scheme (B) Barnet Homes Arms Length Management Order (ii) Provided by HCA
	Barnet Homes have had a successful bid against Sustainable Homes Energy Savings Programme (SHESP) (the cavity wall insulation programme through Decent Homes) of approximately £1.9 million to cover 1,569 units.
	 (d) Housing Capital Scheme (A) Barnet Council (i) Provided by the Department
	
		
			  Barnet  c ouncil 
			   Disabled facilities grant (£000)  Private sector renewal (£ million) 
			 1999-2000 0.00 0.00 
			 2000-01 512 0.00 
			 2001-02 585 0.00 
			 2002-03 620 0.00 
			 2003-04 620 0.00 
			 2004-05 480 0.00 
			 2005-06 605 0.00 
			 2006-07 605 5.83 
			 2007-08 702 5.83 
			 2008-09 750 6.71 
			 2009-10 861 9.73 
		
	
	Further details of allocations under defunct capital housing schemes would be available only at disproportionate cost.

Housing: Fires

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many deaths have resulted from domestic fires in each of the last 10 years; and what assessment his Department has made of these figures.

Shahid Malik: The numbers of fatalities resulting from dwelling fires are shown in the table for the latest 10 years for which data are available.
	These figures are assessed to inform and evaluate policy and initiatives, for example in: Learning Lessons from Real Fires: Findings from Fatal Fire Investigation Reports
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/fire/researchbulletinno9
	and Interim Evaluation of the Home Fire Risk Check Grant Programme
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/fire/homefireriskcheck
	
		
			  Number of fatalities in dwelling fires, England, 1999  to  2008( 1) 
			   Fatalities 
			 1999 334 
			 2000 351 
			 2001 358 
			 2002 327 
			 2003 349 
			 2004 268 
			 2005 288 
			 2006 287 
			 2007 251 
			 2008(1) 257 
			 (1) Provisional. Data for 2008 are provisional and subject to change.

Housing: Low Incomes

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made establishing a community land trust at Cashes Green in Stroud; and what discussions he has had on the matter with the Homes and Communities Agency.

John Healey: The Homes and Communities Agency is working with local partners to establish the Cashes Green Community Land Trust. Following extensive public engagement and community consultation, the Homes and Communities Agency has recently obtained planning consent for the redevelopment of the derelict site identified for this pilot land trust. It is now in the process of securing a development partner, by way of a competitive OJEU process, to deliver the overall scheme. Officials in the Department maintain regular contact with counterparts in the Homes and Communities Agency on this matter.

Housing: Low Incomes

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many community land trusts are in operation; where each is located; how many houses each has built; and how long each trust took to establish.

John Healey: Community land trusts are privately constituted bodies and are not required to register with the TSA unless they provide low cost rental accommodation. The Department therefore does not hold the information requested.

Land Restoration Trust

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much  (a) his Department and its predecessors and  (b) the Homes and Communities Agency and its predecessors have given to the Land Restoration Trust in each of the last three years.

Ian Austin: In each of the last three years the Land Restoration Trust has received the following monies from the Department of Communities and Local Government and its predecessors: 2007£1,140,554; 2008£35,000; 2009nil and from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and its predecessors: 2007£11,156,967; 2008£500,000; 2009£5,045,196.
	The six sites the trust has acquired within this period are Canvey Wick, Dagenham Washlands, Dunlop Ponds, Upton Country Park, Vange Marshes, and Warrington Community Related Assets; between them they represent a mass of 260 hectares. Alongside the in-perpetuity maintenance of these sites (grass cutting, litter picking and infrastructure replacement), the trust regularly engage the local communities, hold a wide range of events and most importantly, take on all the liabilities of those sites.
	To date these six sites have delivered 3,350 health activities, 43 days of training, 816 educational activities with local schools and 378 volunteering days. It should be noted that three of these sites are still in the development process with restoration still being undertaken and so haven't achieved anywhere near their full potential as yet.
	By allowing the trust to take on the ownership and management of these sites the HCA and CLG are protecting these spaces for future generations, ensuring that the cycle of dereliction is broken and future public sector funding.

Local Government: Contracts

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the timetable is for the extension of the Joint Statement on Access to Skills, Trade Unions and Advice in Government Contracting to local government.

Tessa Jowell: I have been asked to reply.
	The Joint Statement on Access to Skills, Trade Unions and Advice in Government Contracting was launched across central Government Departments and Executive agencies in July 2008.
	It has always been the Governments aim to extend the Joint Statement to other parts of the public services, following evaluation of the impact in central Government and subject to further discussion on the detail of any possible implementation.
	A six-month review was recently completed by the Joint Statement Review Steering Group and is available in both Libraries of the House and on the Cabinet Office website at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/media/274789/joint-statement-review.pdf
	The review recorded good progress in implementation across central Government Departments and Executive agencies and noted the potential for local government to adopt the principles of the Joint Statement. The method and timetable for further extension will now be for local government to determine, supported by central Government Departments.

Non-Domestic Rates: Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment has been made of the effect of the 2010 non-domestic rate revaluation on the level of revenue raised from business rates on empty property; and whether transitional rate relief is to apply to empty properties.

Barbara Follett: No assessment has been made of the effect of revaluation 2010 on the level of revenue raised from business rates on empty properties. These will be eligible for transitional relief in respect of increases in bills attributable to the revaluation.
	The five-yearly business rates revaluations make sure each business pays its fair contribution and no more by ensuring the share of the national rates bill paid by any one business reflects changes over time in the value of their property relative to others. The 2010 revaluation will not raise a single extra penny for Government.
	Over a million properties will see their business rate liabilities come down as a result of revaluation. The Government intend to put in place a £2 billion relief scheme to limit the impact on the minority with bill increases. This is on top of the wider support available to help ease business pressures including discounted rate bills for small businesses and deferring tax payments.

Seaside and Country Homes Scheme

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many tenants moved to each local authority area under the Seaside and Country Homes Scheme in each of the last three years.

Ian Austin: The number of tenants that moved to local authority areas under the Seaside and Country Homes in the last three years is detailed within following the table.
	
		
			  Seaside and Country Homes Schemedestination statistics by local authority 
			  Local authority  2009-10  2008-09  2007-08 
			 Arun DC 6 12 3 
			 Brighton and Hove City Council 1 6 1 
			 Canterbury DC 2 5 7 
			 Chichester DC 0 1 2 
			 Christchurch DC 0 0 2 
			 Colchester 2 0 0 
			 Cornwall UA 3 4 2 
			 Devon CC 1 2 0 
			 Dorset CC 1 3 6 
			 Dover DC 0 0 0 
			 East Lindsey DC 3 3 1 
			 Eastleigh BC 1 4 7 
			 Gosport DC 2 1 4 
			 Great Yarmouth 0 2 1 
			 Hampshire CC 1 3 0 
			 Hastings DC 1 1 1 
			 Ipswich 1 0 0 
			 Isle of Wight C 5 6 9 
			 Kent CC 14 15 15 
			 Lewes DC 1 6 3 
			 Maldon DC 1 1 2 
			 Mid Suffolk DC 3 0 3 
			 New Forest DC 1 2 2 
			 Norfolk CC 3 6 8 
			 North Norfolk DC 0 2 3 
			 North Somerset DC 6 1 5 
			 Plymouth DC 1 3 2 
			 Poole BC 0 0 1 
			 Sedgemoor 2 7 3 
			 Shropshire CC 1 3 0 
			 Somerset CC 1 1 2 
			 South Cambs 6 4 3 
			 Southampton UA 0 4 4 
			 Stevenage 1 0 0 
			 Suffolk Coastal DC 5 18 8 
			 Tendring DC 7 47 23 
			 Tewkesbury DC 1 2 0 
			 Thanet DC 2 7 7 
			 Waveney CC 0 2 0 
			 Wealden 0 0 0 
			 West Berkshire 0 3 7 
			 West Somerset DC 4 4 5 
			 West Sussex CC 9 6 12 
			 Wiltshire UA 1 6 7 
			 Worthing BC 3 16 8 
			 Total 105 219 179

Social Rented Housing: Barnet

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will assess the performance of Barnet Homes in delivering the Decent Homes initiative; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Austin: The Homes and Communities Agency, which manages the day to day delivery of the Decent Homes programme, reported that 24 per cent. of the council housing stock in Barnet did not meet the decent homes standard in 2008-09.
	Barnet Homes are inspected by the independent Audit Commission across a range of performance areas, including the delivery of their Decent Homes investment programme. At its most recent inspection Barnet Homes was assessed as having an overall two star rating, and providing a good service with promising prospects for improvement.

Social Rented Housing: Standards

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department provides on requirements for  (a) heating systems,  (b) double glazing and  (c) security of front and back doors under the decent homes standard; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Austin: The Decent Homes standard requires that all social housing provides a reasonable degree of thermal comfort. This includes efficient heating. The Decent Homes standard does not include the security of front and back doors or specify a requirement for double glazing but does allow for the replacement of windows. Guidance on the Decent Homes standard is available in A Decent Homes: definition and guidance for implementation, June 2006 available at:
	www.communities.gov.uk

Supporting People Programme

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much he expects to be spent on Supporting People grants for women at risk of domestic violence in  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) 2010-11.

Shahid Malik: The Supporting People budget is allocated to the top tier local authorities as a single budget and CLG does not allocate the resource to specific client groups and therefore is unable to say what the expected expenditure will be. The Supporting People programme is a locally delivered and managed programme and it is for each local authority to allocate the available resource to provide Supporting People housing related support services, including domestic violence provision based on local needs and priorities.

Supporting People Programme

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was allocated by his Department via Supporting People grants to  (a) women at risk of domestic violence,  (b) people who have been homeless or a rough sleeper and  (c) homeless people with support needs in each region in each of the last five years.

Shahid Malik: The Supporting People budget is allocated to the top tier local authorities as a single budget and CLG does not allocate the resource to specific client groups. The Supporting People programme is a locally delivered and managed programme and it is for each local authority to allocate the available resource to provide Supporting People housing related support services, including domestic violence provision and services for homeless or rough sleepers, based on local needs and priorities.
	The following table sets out the amount spent on Supporting People services by region and by primary client group for 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08. Retrospective spend information for these three years was reported to the Department annually by administering authorities. Data relating to 2003-04 and 2004-05 in the following table reflect the actual level of Supporting People grant allocation.
	
		
			  SP financial information 2003-08 for domestic violence and homeless client groups, by region 
			  Region  Women at risk of DV  Single homeless  Homeless Families  Rough sleeper 
			  2003-04( 1) 
			 North East 2,576,880 11,325,583 1,175,825 12,490 
			 North West 7,076,498 44,003,942 14,541,305 214,161 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 6,251,324 21,470,521 5,725,026 949,473 
			 East Midlands 5,992,686 24,960,194 4,201,243 163,221 
			 West Midlands 8,771,676 21,409,392 3,896,450 0 
			 East 4,463,617 25,470,320 2,765,475 11,569 
			 London 11,865,055 80,960,743 12,619,099 8,474,084 
			 South East 6,187,293 32,362,583 3,590,283 1,741,992 
			 South West 4,034,989 26,915,286 3,044,761 1,086,375 
			 Total 57,131,302 288,847,929 51,750,009 12,720,645 
			  
			  2004-05( 1) 
			 North East 2,585,704 11,248,267 1,172,818 12,375 
			 North West 7,039,408 43,647,762 14,405,397 211,083 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 6,189,306 21,185,617 5,630,154 928,434 
			 East Midlands 5,917,736 24,557,471 4,136,585 158,929 
			 West Midlands 8,752,594 21,325,427 3,918,316 0 
			 East 4,452,971 25,553,926 2,779,959 11,511 
			 London 11,842,080 80,338,357 12,576,977 8,373,174 
			 South East 6,161,947 32,209,893 3,581,707 1,723,219 
			 South West 4,021,760 26,880,426 3,023,289 1,086,455 
			 Total 56,963,504 286,947,146 51,225,203 12,505,180 
			  
			  2005-06 
			 North East 2,835,677 10,902,922 1,200,539 12,590 
			 North West 7,369,185 35,454,968 10,692,917 721,542 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 6,244,079 20,477,330 5,467,045 545,472 
			 East Midlands 5,705,247 19,075,171 4,289,385 198,309 
			 West Midlands 9,878,928 20,504,573 2,357,009 0 
			 East 4,626,515 22,242,815 2,560,051 19,378 
			 London 11,674,608 68,885,005 15,873,832 11,971,500 
			 South East 6,673,546 31,876,031 3,924,310 1,991,145 
			 South West 4,325,474 22,351,993 3,107,731 799,450 
			 Total 59,333,258 251,770,808 49,472,818 16,259,386 
			  
			  2006-07 
			 North East 2,727,974 11,144,585 1,239,057 13,651 
			 North West 7,764,318 34,875,223 10,651,293 964,211 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 6,516,817 17,544,805 5,929,048 743,354 
			 East Midlands 6,093,211 17,740,659 3,981,415 261,947 
			 West Midlands 9,731,621 19,450,876 2,777,146 0 
			 East 4,807,037 18,826,621 2,400,933 19,294 
			 London 12,478,747 63,425,571 14,748,999 12,753,861 
			 South East 6,935,572 28,728,075 3,799,682 1,510,665 
			 South West 4,590,023 21,887,261 3,194,813 1,218,770 
			 Total 61,645,319 233,623,677 48,722,386 17,485,753 
			  
			  2007-08 
			 North East 3,042,569 10,262,428 1,367,896 41,249 
			 North West 7,903,985 35,003,365 11,414,123 1,147,129 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 6,824,502 17,303,932 6,290,100 1,086,917 
			 East Midlands 6,719,608 19,104,846 3,803,393 174,599 
			 West Midlands 10,141,312 18,453,935 2,538,846 280,297 
			 East 4,775,527 19,736,280 2,649,753 15,504 
			 London 12,870,564 54,696,919 12,611,487 12,514,292 
			 South East 7,390,539 28,133,640 3,176,137 1,477,743 
			 South West 4,854,878 19,467,429 3,088,183 2,038,357 
			 Total 64,523,484 222,162,774 46,939,918 18,776,088 
			 (1) The Supporting People Programme came into effect on 1st April 2003 and as such financial information relating to Supporting People services is only available from this time. The information included in the above table shows the breakdown of SP financial information for each region as a whole for the first five years of the programme. Data relating to the years 2003-04 and 2004-05 reflect the level of grant allocation which was based on the picture of SP services as at 1 April 2003 (programme go live)what actual spend levels per client group were in these years will not be the same, as actual reported spend data are not available. Information relating to the years 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 reflects actual spend as reported by AAs at the end of each financial year. Analysis of the 2008-09 data is yet to be finalised.

Supporting People Programme

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities received funding via the Supporting People programme for expenditure on services for women at risk of domestic violence in the last 12 months.

Shahid Malik: The Supporting People budget is allocated to the 150 top tier local authorities as a single budget and CLG does not allocate the resource to specific client groups. The Supporting People programme is a locally delivered and managed programme and it is for each local authority to allocate the available resource to provide Supporting People housing related support services, including domestic violence provision based on local needs and priorities.
	Spend information for 2007-08 reported to the Department by Supporting People administering authorities showed that out of the 150 top tier local authorities 147 used their Supporting People funding to deliver domestic violence services.

Supporting People Programme

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people in each client group received a Supporting People grant in each of the last four quarters for which figures are available.

Shahid Malik: The Supporting People programme is administered at the local level by the relevant administering authority. It is for the authority to decide which services to fund, informed by the local needs and priorities identified in their five-year Supporting People strategies. People who are eligible for Supporting People funding tend to use a service, rather than receive a cashable grant.
	Data are collected on the amount of housing related support services available to different client groups (measured in household units). The following table provides a snapshot of the services available at a particular point in time during each of the last four quarters, but does not reflect the total number of households who have accessed services during each year. Household unit information is reported to the Department on a quarterly basis, by administering authorities.
	
		
			  HHUs as at the end of each quarter of 2008-09 
			   Quarter 1  Quarter 2  Quarter 3  Quarter 4 
			  Primary client group  30 June 2008  30 September 2008  31December 2008  31 March 2009 
			 Frail elderly 34,366 35,423 35,834 35,740 
			 Generic 36,258 36,379 38,263 45,230 
			 Homeless families with support needs 14,257 14,370 14,270 15,002 
			 Mentally disordered offenders 222 222 236 237 
			 Offenders or people at risk of offending 7,831 8,247 8,326 8,508 
			 Older people with mental health problems/dementia 1,248 1,253 1,227 1,663 
			 Older people with support needs 787,038 796,996 792,168 805,641 
			 People with a physical or sensory disability 11,926 12,179 12,098 12,321 
			 People with alcohol problems 3,208 3,020 3,233 3,350 
			 People with drug problems 5,023 5,196 5,435 5,483 
			 People with HIV/AIDS 822 868 870 838 
			 People with learning disabilities 32,816 30,976 30,910 30,678 
			 People with mental health problems 36,675 36,510 36,495 36,311 
			 Refugees 2,609 2,682 2,754 2,562 
			 Rough sleeper 2,547 2,521 2,693 2,706 
			 Single homeless with support needs 38,751 39,749 39,952 39,005 
			 Teenage parents 3,868 3,891 3,851 3,817 
			 Traveller 1,190 1,296 1,362 1,407 
			 Women at risk of domestic violence 9,845 9,958 10,120 10,549 
			 Young people at risk 19,040 20,037 20,454 20,524 
			 Young people leaving care 1,831 1,856 1,855 1,834 
			  1,051,371 1,063,629 1,062,406 1,083,406 
			  
			  National adjustments  1,219  -10,471  -4,071   
		
	
	It should be noted that in Q1, Q2 and Q4 the overall household unit available figures were adjusted (up or down) for some authorities, however these adjustments were not applied at service level and can therefore not be applied to the individual client group totals. The figures shown in italics therefore represent an overall adjustment to the national household unit count required to bring the above analysis in line with the nationally published figures.

Departmenal Postal Services

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of postal services for his Department and its agencies were provided by  (a) Royal Mail and  (b) other postal service providers (i) in 2007, (ii) in 2008, (iii) between 1 January and 1 July 2009 and (iv) after 1 July 2009.

Chris Bryant: For the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and its agencies, between November 2007 and October 2008 approximately 99.6 per cent. of postal services were provided by Royal Mail and approximately 0.4 percent were provided by another postal service supplier. Between November 2008 and October 2009 approximately 99.8 per cent. of postal services were provided by Royal Mail and approximately 0.2 per cent. were provided by another postal service supplier.
	Automated statistics prior to November 2007 are not available. Statistics between November 2007 and October 2008 are partially estimated as although the London based franking system can provide statistics throughout the period in question, the Hanslope Park based franking system is only able to produce statistics covering November 2008 to October 2009. Manually collated information covering the specific timescales requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff in his Department were employed on the management of freedom of information requests submitted to his Department in each year since 2005; and how much his Department spent on the management of such requests in each such year.

Chris Bryant: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has ten staff in its Information Rights Team who are responsible for managing Freedom of Information (FOI) and subject access requests under the FOI and Data Protection Acts respectively. However, a large number of staff in the FCO play a role in answering FOI requests and to find out exactly how many would incur disproportionate cost.
	A report prepared for the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) by Frontier Economics Ltd., in October 2006, entitled Independent Review of the impact of the Freedom of Information Act estimated a figure of £254 for a central Government body to deal with an initial FOI request. Based on this figure, the FCO spent an estimated £334,010 on initial FOI requests in 2005, £261,620 in 2006, £260,604 in 2007, £258,826 in 2008 and £232,410 to end October in 2009.
	The report is available on the MoJ website at:
	http://www.foi.gov.uk/reference/foi-independent-review.pdf

Departmental Marketing

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on advertising and publicity in each of the last five years.

Chris Bryant: I refer the hon. Member to the reply on advertising given by my noble Friend Baroness Kinnock today (HL5509).
	In addition to that reply, consular directorates publicity team spent the following from their publications budget:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2004-05 n/a 
			 2005-06 531,000 
			 2006-07 (1)750,000 
			 2007-08 683,000 
			 2008-09 611,000 
			 (1) Including World cup expense 
		
	
	This expenditure includes the cost of digital media and producing and distributing consular leaflets and booklets.
	In 2008-09 our communications directorate spent £859,485 on publicity (strategic campaigns). Figures prior to this are not available, nor are figures for spend at our posts abroad.

Gilad Shalit

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to governments of Arab states to secure the release of Gilad Shalit.

Ivan Lewis: We continue to call on Hamas to release Gilad Shalit without further delay or conditions. I met Noam Shalit, Gilad's father, in Tel Aviv in August 2009 to demonstrate our ongoing support. On the same visit, I also stressed the need for his immediate release to those I met within the Palestinian Authority. Since then, in discussions at the UN, we have also made clear to Arab governments and others the need for his immediate release.

India

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens he expects will leave India as a result of his Department's recent advice to them to consider doing so; what support and advice his Department is offering to British citizens asking to leave; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel Advice for India does not advise British citizens to leave India.

Iraq: Armed Conflict

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Iraqi locally employed civilians have been killed by militias in Iraq.

Ivan Lewis: Over forty Iraqis who have worked for our military, civilian and police training missions have been reported as having been killed as a result of their association with us. Others have died in accidents, of natural causes or in violent incidents in which they do not appear to have been specifically targeted.

Iraq: Armed Conflict

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many former Iraqi locally employed civilians have  (a) accepted financial payments from the UK Government and  (b) had their applications for assistance under the scheme rejected.

Ivan Lewis: 284 former locally engaged staff have opted for financial payments and 590 have had their applications rejected. The main reasons for the rejections were that the applicants had not been employed for the requisite twelve months' period; had not been employed as interpreters/translators or in similarly skilled or professional roles necessitating the regular use of written or spoken English; or had not been employed directly by the Government.

Rwanda: Politics and Government

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking with  (a) other donor countries and  (b) the Rwandan government to ensure that the recommendations of the EU Electoral Observer Mission to Rwanda in 2008 are implemented before the presidential election in Rwanda in 2010.

Ivan Lewis: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development are working closely with the National Electoral Commission and other donor countries to encourage implementation of the recommendations of the 2008 EU Election Observation Mission to Rwanda. The Commission and donors discuss progress in implementing the recommendations on a monthly basis. The UK has also made detailed recommendations to the Electoral Commission on the draft electoral code, which will form the legal basis for the 2010 elections.

Western Sahara: Land Mines

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will hold discussions with his Moroccan counterpart on mine clearance in the occupied territory of Western Sahara.

Ivan Lewis: The UN Mission in Western Sahara (MINURSO) and, under MTNURSO guidance, the parties to the dispute, are responsible for marking and disposing of mines and unexploded ordinance in the disputed territory of Western Sahara.
	MINURSO, as the most appropriate body to do so, regularly discusses mine clearance with the Moroccan authorities. Landmine Action, a UK based non-governmental organisation works closely with MINURSO and the Government funds the work of MINURSO through our assessed contributions to the UN.

Better Off In Work Credit

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what plans she has for the future of the better off in work credit;
	(2)  how many people have received a better off in work credit since the pilots began

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the Better Off in Work pilot in Yorkshire; and when she plans to implement the scheme nationwide.

Jim Knight: When we introduced the Better off in Work Credit pilot in October 2008 we said that it would run for a year. Therefore, the pilot came to an end on 30 October 2009. We are now undertaking a thorough evaluation of the pilot to assess the Better off in Work Credits impact.

Child Support Agency

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff have been moved from the Child Support Agency to other posts within her Department, its agencies and its non-departmental bodies since 1 January 2008 or the nearest date to that for which figures are available.

Helen Goodman: holding answer 2 November 2009
	The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission is responsible for the child maintenance system. I have asked the Child Maintenance Commissioner to write to the hon. Member with the information requested and I have seen the response.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Child Maintenance Commissioner as the Child Support Agency is now the responsibility of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff have been moved from the Child Support Agency to other posts within her Department its agencies and its non-departmental bodies since 1 January 2008 or the nearest date to that for which figures are available.
	On 1 November 2008 the Department for Work and Pensions transferred the functions of the Child Support Agency and its 10,524 people (9,319 full time equivalents) to the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (the Commission).
	In January 2009 and in consultation with Jobcentre Plus the Commission brought forward a reorganisation to enable the transfer of people and estate to Jobcentre Plus. This contributed to the Departments plans to increase Jobcentre Plus staffing to reflect the increasing numbers of clients as a result of the economic downturn. A total of 636 people (551 full time equivalents) and eight sites were transferred to Jobcentre Plus. No other employees have been moved to any other part of the Department outside the Commission other than those individuals who have successfully applied for posts on level transfer or promotion.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff in her Department were employed on the management of freedom of information requests submitted to her Department in each year since 2005; and how much her Department spent on the management of such requests in each such year.

Jim Knight: Freedom of information within my Department is overseen by a central team consisting of four full-time staff dedicated to freedom of information (FoI). This team is supported by a network of business unit Focal Points who coordinate and allocate those requests for information that fall outside normal business and which are dealt with formally under the FoI Act. The FOI focal points are spread across all the Departments key business units and FoI is only part of their duties. It is not possible to disaggregate the time and cost incurred in discharging their FoI responsibilities.
	Neither does my Department hold information on costs of responding to individual FoI requests as this is an integral part of all staffs responsibilities.

Departmental Telephone Services

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the  (a) average time to answer a call,  (b) average waiting time for a client during a call,  (c) percentage of calls dropped or not answered and  (d) average length of a call was in a call centre run by her Department and each of its agencies in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) operates through two main customer delivery businesses; Jobcentre Plus and the Pension, Disability and Carers Service (PDCS). Figures are provided for the contact centres run by each of these businesses.
	
		
			  Jobcentre Plus contact centre directorate service lines 
			   Figures 
			  (a) Average speed of answer 1 minute 22 seconds 
			  (b) Average inbound hold time 11 seconds 
			  (c) Calls dropped/not answered (percentage) 7.3 
			  (d) Average call length 6 minutes 34 seconds 
		
	
	
		
			  Pension, Disability and Carers Service 
			  PDCS call centre information: 1 April 2009 to date  Helpline  BEL  CA  Pensions 
			  (a) Average time to answer a call 1 minute 32 seconds 31 seconds 1 minute 27 seconds 54 seconds 
			  (b) Average waiting time for a client during a call Information not available(1) 
			  (c) Percentage of calls dropped or not answered (percentage) 7.5 4.2 6.3 4.92 
			  (d) Average length of a call 3 minutes 11 seconds 1 minute 35 seconds 2 minutes 29 seconds 9 minutes 31 seconds 
			 (1) To fully calculate the average waiting time for a customer during a call would properly include the time spent by customers who terminate their call before they are connected to an agent. The management information available to calculate this is only held locally and is insufficiently robust for the purposes of answering a Parliamentary Question.  Notes: 1. Prior to a call being answered by an advisor, the customer is initially presented with a recorded message. Following the end of that message, the customers call is then directed into a queue for answer. The average time to answer a call is calculated from the point that the call joins the queue for answer. 2. All timings are provided in minutes and seconds.  Source: Pension data: Avaya and Opmis M1 systems. Helpline/BEL/Carers data: Opmis M1 system.

Departmental Telephone Services

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether an assessment has been made of the level of failure demand in call centres run by her Department and each of its agencies.

Jim Knight: The Department makes regular assessments of the levels of avoidable contact, most recently through a survey conducted in February 2009. Results from the survey are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Million per year 
			   Total calls received  Avoidable calls received 
			 Jobcentre Plus 57.0 23.1 
			 Pension Disability and Carer Service 19.3 5.3 
			 Debt Management 1.2 0.24 
			 DWP 77.5 28.7 
			  Notes: 1. Annual volumes are based on extrapolation from a sample survey taken in February 2009. 2. Figures exclude calls to Jobcentres as these are not run as call centres. 3. Avoidable contact is contact that adds no value to the outcome. It includes contact that is nugatory, duplicative or caused by failures in business processes. Avoidable contacts can include wrong numbers, progress chasing calls and calls for clarification. 
		
	
	In line with the recommendations of Sir David Varneys report, Service Transformation, DWP has plans to reduce levels of avoidable contact by 50 per cent. by April 2011.

Elektron Instruments: Redundancy

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assistance her Department is giving to employees at risk of redundancy at Elektron Instruments Limited in Torquay.

Jim Knight: On 28 January 2009 Elektron Instruments notified Jobcentre Plus that they were planning to make 35 of their 136 employees in Torquay redundant. These were mainly semi-skilled print setters who had been with the company for a long time. They would be going in two waves, the first on 27 February 2009 and the second on 27 March 2009. This number was later reduced to 25.
	We contacted the company the same day, and offered to give redundancy talks to those employees affected under the Rapid Response Scheme. The talks would cover an overview of how to claim benefit, the work we do with partner organisations and help jobseekers find work. They also signpost the Learning and Skills Council provision and make information and leaflets available. The aim is to help minimise some of the apprehension and prepare people for their first contact with Jobcentre Plus, especially if they have not claimed benefit for some time.
	The Rapid Response Manager arranged to talk to 11 employees on 19 February 2009, supported by the Jobcentre Manager and a financial adviser.
	We have established an excellent relationship with the company. They have been reducing gradually over the year, and they have contacted us each time they have been planning on making further reductions in staff to ask for the Rapid Response Scheme talks for the employees affected.
	The company last contacted us on 26 October 2009 to notify that 12 more people had been put under notice. Our Rapid Response Scheme manager has arranged to talk to the outgoing employees on 18 November 2009.

Employment: Autism

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent guidance has been issued to staff at Jobcentre Plus on assisting people diagnosed with autism into work; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: holding answer 9 November 2009
	The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive, Mel Groves. I have asked him to reply to the hon. member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about what recent guidance has been issued to staff at Jobcentre Plus on assisting people diagnosed with autism into work. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Jobcentre Plus policy is to develop its staff in the skills required to support a range of customers and to respect their individual needs, including those related autism. This approach ensures that they are equipped to deal with a diverse set of circumstances whilst treating customers as individuals. Skilled employment advisors look at the interaction between the person, the job and the persons ability. Advisors ensure that job goals relate to the persons abilities and that relevant solutions are identified in order to overcome any barriers a customer might face in a particular job.
	Jobcentre Plus advisors are introduced to guide notes as part of their training, which include background information on a number of conditions, including autism, the implications for interviews and how to use questioning techniques in order to support customers. Disability Employment Advisors focus on customers that need more extensive support and receive further levels of skills training appropriate to their customers, including skills practice in interviewing an autistic person to drive home learning points.
	In May 2009, Jobcentre Plus advisors were issued with a reminder, specifically about the information on autism that is held on our intranet site, to help reinforce the learning they have already undertaken to assist people with autism into work. Advisors were also reminded that Access to Work may be able to support autistic customers who are starting a job, by providing a job coach for a short period, or autism awareness training to the customers colleagues. We are currently reviewing how Access to Work support can be improved and any resulting changes will benefit autistic people.
	Jobcentre Plus has also recently engaged with two autism telephone tutorials held by the Employers Forum on Disability. The events were publicised on our business intranet site. Staff were encouraged to participate and actively did so. Events such as these help to develop an even greater understanding of autism and the issues related to employment.

Employment: Autism

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps she is taking to help people diagnosed with autism into employment; and if she will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 9 November 2009
	We are fully committed to supporting disabled people, including those diagnosed with autism, to find suitable, sustainable work.
	Disability employment advisors can advise a customer about suitable job opportunities and specialised support available to disabled people. If necessary they can also advocate on a customers behalf (by negotiating with employers), refer customers for an occupational health assessment, and use the professional expertise of work psychologists, who specialise in working with disabled people.
	Disability employment advisors also have the discretion to use job introduction scheme funding in situations where a disabled applicant is considered suitable for a post, but the employer has genuine doubts about the individuals ability to cope with the proposed job or place of work. The job introduction scheme can provide a grant to the employer towards the employment costs incurred during the first weeks of employment.
	Jobcentre Plus has a number of specialist programmes that help disabled people move into paid work, some of which are only accessible through disability employment advisors. These programmes include work preparation, residential training and Workstep (a programme of supported employment).
	Disabled people going into paid work may also be able to benefit from access to work, which provides practical advice and support to disabled people and their employers to help overcome work related obstacles resulting from disability. Access to work provides a system of grants which contribute towards the cost of providing support, such as a job coach for a short period to help settle an autistic customer into work. Support can also be given to the customer in the form of awareness training on autism which can be delivered to the customers colleagues.
	Jobcentre Plus staff are also provided with training in the skills required to manage a range of behaviours demonstrated by customers, covering a variety of health conditions. This approach ensures that they are equipped to deal with diverse circumstances while treating customers as individuals. Advisors look at the interaction between the person, the job and an individuals ability and ensure that job goals relate to the customers abilities and that work solutions are sought to overcome any challenges a customer might face in a particular job.

Future Jobs Fund

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many  (a) local authorities,  (b) social enterprises and  (c) other third sector providers have (i) applied and (ii) qualified for money from the Future Jobs Fund since the fund was established;
	(2)  how many  (a) young people and  (b) people from other disadvantaged groups have received assistance from the Future Jobs Fund since the fund was established.

Jim Knight: The Department for Work and Pensions does not have a detailed breakdown of the sectors that have bid. The list of successful bidders to the Future Jobs Fund is available on our website at:
	www.dwp.gov.uk/futurejobsfund
	Many of these bids are from partnerships that plan to create jobs with a variety of organisations, in different sectors.
	We will be publishing official statistics on the number of people participating in the Future Jobs Fund in spring 2010, which will include characteristics such as age, gender, ethnicity and type of benefit previously claimed. Until then this data is not available.

Future Jobs Fund

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many  (a) 18 to 24 years olds and  (b) people living in deprived areas have participated in Future Jobs Fund jobs in each month since the scheme began;
	(2)  how many  (a) young people aged 18 to 24 and  (b) out of work benefit recipients in deprived areas have (i) applied for and (ii) started a job under the Future Jobs Fund in each month since the scheme began.

Jim Knight: The information requested is not currently available but will be made available in future through a statistical release covering the whole of the Young Persons Guarantee. The first publication should be ready around six months after the start of the programme and quarterly thereafter.
	Information regarding ongoing progress will be reported through quarterly statistical releases in line with the Departments other employment programmes. The established process is for the first of these to be made available around six months after a new programme starts. This is to allow time for input from the UK Statistics Authority and for the information to be collected, understood, verified and reported. We will be following this approach with the Young Persons Guarantee.

Future Jobs Fund

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proposals each successful bid under the Future Jobs Fund programme made on the improvement of the long-term employability of each participant.

Jim Knight: It is not possible to provide details of what each successful bidder under the Future Jobs Fund programme proposes to do to improve the long term employability of each participant. However, before receiving grant funding successful bidders must set out their plans to improve the employability of each person. Successful bidders will have to provide employability support to each individual which best suits their needs.
	Examples of the types of provision of support to Future Jobs Fund employees into sustainable employment include:
	Regular reviews;
	Job Matching;
	Basic Skills Assessment, for example, CCOS Employment Training has the Basic Skills Quality Mark, and identifying training needs;
	Planned access to Job Clubs;
	Regular advice and information on Job and Training vacancies;
	Individual Training and Job Plans;
	In-depth assessment of the existing skills levels of the client, including a Skills for Life Assessment;
	Receiving a reference from their employer, further helping to improve their employability;
	Personal adviser contact, advice and support;
	Training opportunities and in work training;
	Individual learning plans;
	Core skills development and confidence-building;
	ESOL and literacy and numeracy, where required;
	Interpersonal skills development;
	Monthly reviews;
	Mentoring support;
	Ongoing supervision;
	Induction programmes to provide support to access the most appropriate placement for their skills, abilities and interests, and cover such topics as health and safety, basic work skills, confidence building and working within a team, and
	Holding 1-1 meetings to identity any barriers to employment, to identify specialist support or training needs and prepare a work plan.

Incapacity Benefit

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in  (a) England,  (b) the North East,  (c) Tees Valley and  (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency have been on incapacity benefit for longer than 12 months; and how many had been transferred to incapacity benefit from jobseekers allowance.

Jim Knight: The table shows the number of people who have been on incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance for more than 12 months in each area.
	
		
			  Number of people receiving incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance for longer than 12 months in February 2009 
			   Number 
			 England 1,792,760 
			 North East 130,620 
			 Tees Valley 33,710 
			 Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland constituency 4,560 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 2. Tees Valley is made up of the following local authorities: Hartlepool Middlesbrough Darlington Stockton-on-Tees Redcar and Cleveland  Source: Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate 
		
	
	Information about the number of people who transferred from jobseekers allowance and have been on incapacity benefit for longer than 12 months could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Income Support: Grandparents

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate her Department has made of the number of grandparents who receive income support allowance in respect of their grandchildren.

Jim Knight: holding answer 4 November 2009
	The Information is not available.

Jobcentre Plus

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which Jobcentre Plus offices closed in each of the last six years are under consideration for reopening; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking which Jobcentre Plus offices closed in each of the last six years are under consideration for reopening. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	I have provided this information at Annex A.
	Since April 2002, when Jobcentre Plus was created by the merger of the former Employment Service and Benefits Agency, Jobcentre Plus has continued to refocus and transform the way it delivers its services. These transformation programmes have improved the quality and breadth of customer service, as well as the environment in which it is delivered. Customers no longer have to go to two separate officesoften on the same High Streetto receive help with both benefits and jobsearch. This has allowed us to rationalise our estate to provide excellent High Street coverage and a single, integrated customer facing office, at the same time reducing cost to the tax payer.
	Our approach to closure of a customer-facing Jobcentre is one that takes into account a range of issues, for example, the impact closure may have on customer service, and whether the work and staff can be relocated. When we are looking to withdraw our services from a location we are committed to full consultation with our customers, partner organisations, Trade Unions, staff, and local Members of Parliament.
	The great majority of our services (in common with most large, modern organisations) are now delivered through the telephone and internet. For example, to give customers more convenient access we have around half-a-million vacancies on-line at any time (our website receives close to one million job searches every working day), and new claims to benefit are predominantly taken by telephone with some taken on-line. However, Jobcentres continue to provide an essential serviceespecially to those customers most in need of tailored help.
	In addition to our network of modernised Jobcentres, we aim to make our services accessible to customers by providing a range of support through outreach, often delivering advisory and other support on Partner's premises. That is particularly important in locations where maintaining a Jobcentre could not be justified. Typically, such services can be delivered in partnership with Childrens Centres, or on Local Authority premises, or in conjunction with one of our Welfare to Work Providers.
	Jobcentre Plus Customer Service Directors have reviewed their existing service delivery arrangements in meeting the challenge of the current economic climate, taking into account the planned welfare reform changes for the next two to three years. This review took into account the latest known information on the expected increase in business and customer volumes. This exercise has identified that some Jobcentre Plus offices currently face capacity pressures. These pressures will be met through a range of solutions.
	We have embarked on a programme of converting or extending our existing buildings where necessary, and widening our network of outreach facilities to make our services more accessible to customers. We are supplementing these measures by operating extended opening hours in some locations where the need for this is identified locally. This includes some offices opening to the public on Saturday.
	This programme is primarily focused on those buildings where we provide a face to face service for members of the public, but we are also implementing solutions across our network of Benefit Delivery Centres and Contact Centres to ensure they are equipped to meet any capacity challenge.
	The vast majority of sites affected have sufficient internal space which could be made available to enable capacity increases. The work to be carried out is of a temporary nature to ensure Jobcentre Plus has the flexibility to review the estate requirement in future.
	We only acquire new temporary space where all other measures are insufficient and Jobcentre Plus presence in these buildings will be clearly badged as temporary facilities. The sites listed in Annex A are being considered for temporary reoccupation because no suitable alternatives exist.
	
		
			  Annex A: Jobcentre Plus offices previously open to the public and under consideration for temporary reoccupation 
			  Region  Location 
			 London Broadway, Bexleyheath 
			 North West Great Moor Street, Bolton 
			 Scotland Somervell Street, Cambuslang 
			 West Midlands Erdington, Birmingham 
			 West Midlands Bristol Road, South Northfield, Birmingham 
			 West Midlands Sheriffs Court, Coventry

Jobseekers Allowance: Coventry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps her Department is taking to secure employment for those in receipt of jobseekers allowance in Coventry.

Jim Knight: holding answer 9 November 2009
	 Jobcentre Plus is equipped to offer advice to everyone who is looking for work. While most people find work relatively quickly and need only a little support from Jobcentre Plus others will require far more help. This is provided through a structured process of regular jobsearch reviews and support from our personal advisers on opportunities to help overcome things that may be making it harder to find work.
	As part of this, we have enhanced the package of support provided to people with extra support prior to redundancy, when they are newly unemployed, and at the six and 12 month points of their claim including a subsidy for employers, voluntary work and help to set up a business. For customers facing redundancy we have increased funding for the Rapid Response Service which is delivered in conjunction with partner organisations in Coventry and Warwickshire. This ensures that local resources are clearly targeted and includes areas such as skills assessments and short training as well as jobsearch programmes to help people move quickly into employment and training.
	To coincide with the national launch of Backing Young Britain in July this year Jobcentre Plus in Coventry engaged with 25 key local employers, partners and stakeholders to secure their personal commitment to offering jobs, apprenticeships, work trials, work experience, internships and mentoring advice. We have also launched the Future Jobs Fund, worth around £1 billion, which aims to create at least 100,000 new jobs for those aged 18-24 nationally. A further 50,000 jobs will be created in areas of high unemployment and all customers, irrespective of their age, will be eligible.
	In Coventry 29 per cent. of jobseekers allowance customers are aged between 18-24 years old. There have been a wide range of organisations from the public, private and voluntary sectors who have made successful bids. To date approximately 8,000 jobs have been identified in the West Midlands.
	In October 2009, we also introduced the flexible new deal. The flexible new deal is delivered by contracted service providers working in partnership with Jobcentre Plus. In Coventry and Warwickshire these are Serco and Pertemps.
	Within the 12 months of starting on flexible new deal, jobseekers will undertake a minimum of four weeks of either full-time employment or continuous mandatory full time work-related activity. Jobcentre Plus will deliver early stages of the regime (before customers are referred to a provider), pay benefits and maintain contact with the customer through fortnightly signing. The flexible new deal gives providers the flexibility to deliver a more personalised and tailored service to the individual employment and skills needs of long-term jobseekers.
	Jobcentre Plus in Coventry is working closely with a range of employers in both the public and private sectors in securing local employment partnerships (LEPS). LEPs are a key tool in supporting people from disadvantaged communities back into work. Jobcentre Plus work closely with customers, employers and partners to tailor a programme to ensure that individuals are job ready. Coventry city council is one of the leading public sector LEP recruiters and the HSBC processing centre in Coventry recently won the West Midlands 2009 LEP Unlocking Talent award.

Jobseekers Allowance: Work Experience

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps Jobcentre Plus takes to provide access to work experience for jobseekers allowance claimants aged  (a) between 16 and 24 years and  (b) 25 years and over when they have been claiming the allowance for (i) less than six months and (ii) between six and 12 months; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: There are a number of ways in which someone receiving jobseekers allowance can undertake work experience.
	As part of the Backing Young Britain measures announced on 29 July 2009, we will be introducing arrangements early next year to make two-week work experience opportunities available to jobseekers aged 18 to 21 who have been on jobseekers allowance for three months. They will remain entitled to jobseekers allowance. We also committed as part of Backing Young Britain to increase the number of graduate and non-graduate internships available to young people, with 10,000 internship and work experience opportunities for non-graduates, and a total of 20,000 graduate internships.
	The Budget announced a guaranteed offer of a job, work-focused training, or meaningful activity to all 18 to 24-year-olds before they have reached the 12 month stage of their claim to jobseekers allowance. The substantial new work experience opportunity will be available through the introduction of the Community Task Force, in early 2010. Under the Six-Month Offer in place since April 2009 for all jobseekers reaching six months receipt of jobseekers allowance there is a voluntary work placement option.
	Under the mandatory New Deals and Flexible New Deal work experience is part of the activity that all jobseekers must undertake at the appointed stage of their claim. For those aged 18 to 24 entering New Deal for Young People mandatory work experience will begin after 10 months of unemployment. For those entering New Deal 25 Plus mandatory work experience commences after about 21 months. In Flexible New Deal there is no age distinction and work experience can begin at the outset of the provision as part of personalised support.
	Jobseekers allowance is normally payable to people aged 18 and over, up to state pension age. In exceptional circumstances, people aged 16 and 17 may receive jobseekers allowance but along with other young people aged 16 to 19 they will usually be supported by Connexions in England and its equivalents in Scotland and Wales.

Local Employment Partnerships

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps she expects local employment partnerships to take to support  (a) older workers,  (b) those with mental health disorders,  (c) those with alcohol-related problems and  (d) those addicted to drugs.

Jim Knight: holding answer 2 November 2009
	Through Local Employment Partnerships, over 330,000 people have moved into work with over 40,000 employers since September 2007. Local Employment Partnerships are agreements between the Government through Jobcentre Plus and its partners to work with employers to help all those disadvantaged in the labour market move from benefit into work. Jobcentre Plus uses specific initiatives to support disadvantaged people move into and stay in work including Age Positive for older workers and Access to Work for people with a health condition. We will shortly pilot extra support for problem drug users.
	This range of support helps people with specific issues to prepare for work in order that they are better placed to apply for vacancies with employers recruiting through Local Employment Partnerships.

Local Housing Allowance

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average excess payment is which is made to claimants of local housing allowance.

Helen Goodman: This information is not available.

New Deal Schemes

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the number of people who have been unemployed for 12 months or more and who have not been referred to the flexible New Deal scheme.

Jim Knight: holding answer 10 November 2009
	The Flexible New Deal service started in Phase One areas in October. To bridge the gap for existing jobseekers allowance customers at April 2009, and take account of the former New Deal 25 Plus customers in these areas being referred to Flexible New Deal providers earlier, revised contractual arrangements were agreed with existing New Deal (including Private Sector-led) and Employment Zone providers.
	Due to these changes some of the former New Deal 25 Plus customers in these areas who did not start with the New Deal provider will have been unemployed for more than 12 months by the time they are referred to the provider under the Flexible New Deal. However they will have also received more intensive support from Jobcentre Plus personal advisers for a period of six months.
	All new jobseekers allowance customers will be referred to the Flexible New Deal providers on reaching 12 months unemployment, or earlier in certain circumstances.
	For customers in Flexible New Deal Phase Two areas, existing New Deal and Employment Zone contracts will continue. They will have access to the additional support for jobseekers at six months. Some customers may also be able to access additional support under the Young Persons Guarantee provision. Customers over age 25 will receive support from Jobcentre Plus until they become eligible for the existing New Deal 25 Plus when they have been receiving jobseekers allowance for 18 months.

New Deal Schemes: Bedfordshire

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people aged between 18 and 24 years old resident in Mid Bedfordshire constituency have received assistance under the New Deal since 2003; and how many such people have moved into employment.

Jim Knight: There have been 410 starters (spells) on the New Deal for Young People in the Mid Bedfordshire parliamentary constituency since January 2003. The following table shows the immediate destination of those who have left New Deal.
	
		
			  Destination  Number 
			 Employment 130 
			 Employment and Benefits 110 
			 Other (including unknown) 150 
			  Notes: 1. Latest data on starters is to May 2009 and latest data on leavers is to February 2009. 2. Spells: An individual may have more than one spell on New Deal for Young People. 3. Immediate destination on leaving is measured within two weeks of leaving New Deal, using information from the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study. People recorded as leaving to Employment and Benefits have evidence of both employment and have an active benefit. 4. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 5. Totals may not sum due to rounding.  Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate

Pension Credit: Selby

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were in receipt of pension credit in Selby constituency on the latest date for which information is available.

Angela Eagle: The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			  Pension credit caseload February 2009 
			   Selby parliamentary constituency 
			 Households in receipt of pension credit 3,370 
			 Individual beneficiaries of pension credit 4,160 
			  Notes:  1. The number of households in receipt are rounded to the nearest 10.  2. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a partner.  3. Number of beneficiariespension credit is claimed on a household basis and therefore the number of people that pension credit helps is the number of claimants in addition to the number of partners for whom they are also claiming.  Source:  DWP Information Directorate Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study

Self-employed: Government Assistance

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what additional funding has been allocated to the provision of self-employment support under the six month offer;
	(2)  what  (a) grants and  (b) other capital funding will be available to jobseekers taking up the offer of self-employment support under the six month offer.

Jim Knight: Under the Six Month Offer, there are two elements to the help on offer to people who want to move into self-employment or start a business. To provide financial support during the early weeks of trading, customers can claim a self-employment credit paid at a rate of £50 a week for up to 16 weeks. This is payable once the customer ceases claiming jobseeker's allowance and takes up self-employment.
	We are also giving additional funds to Business Link Providers in England, Flexible Support for Business in Wales, and Training for Work in Scotland to provide intensive self-employment and business start-up support and advice for those who need it before they leave benefit. This help can extend into the first weeks of trading, if required.
	The Six Month Offer does not provide capital grants to help with initial business start-up costs. However, as with any other person setting up a new business, those eligible for the Six Month Offer will be able to apply for the relevant grants that are available in each country. For example, in England, decisions about what business support is available in each region is decided by the regional development agencies. The full range of publicly funded support in England can be found in the Solutions for Business portfolio on the Business Link website.

Self-employed: Government Assistance

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have received self employment credit in each month since April 2009.

Jim Knight: The information requested on the number of people who have received the self-employment credit is shown in the following table. The latest figures available are for July 2009.
	
		
			  2009  Number of people receiving self-employment credit 
			 April 30 
			 May 190 
			 June 460 
			 July 780 
			  Notes: 1. Figures above 10 are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Months are calendar months.  Source: DWP research at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/6month_offer.asp

Social Security Benefits

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people received  (a) jobseeker's allowance,  (b) income support and  (c) incapacity benefit in (i) England and (ii) North East Cambridgeshire in each of the last 15 years; and if she will make a statement.

Helen Goodman: holding answer 14 September 2009
	The available information is in the following tables.
	
		
			  Jobseeker's allowance claimants 
			   England  North East Cambridgeshire parliamentary constituency 
			  July   
			 1997 1,276,655 2,077 
			 1998 1,089,472 1,726 
			 1999 1,007,767 1,636 
			 2000 866,005 1,173 
			 2001 762,269 1,002 
			 2002 764,590 1,079 
			 2003 760,488 1,032 
			 2004 677,096 1,056 
			 2005 711,788 1,314 
			 2006 796,354 1,343 
			 2007 713,363 1,270 
			 2008 722,897 1,410 
			 2009 1,311,098 2,575 
			  Notes:  1. Data is un-rounded. 2. Data is published at: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk 3. Jobseekers allowance was introduced from October 1996.   Source: 100 per cent. count of claimants of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus Computer Systems. 
		
	
	
		
			  Incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance claimants 
			   England  North East Cambridgeshire parliamentary constituency 
			  February   
			 1996 2,226,700 3,600 
			 1997 2,228,100 3,700 
			 1998 2,214,600 3,600 
			 1999 2,168,700 3,500 
			 2000 2,156,060 3,850 
			 2001 2,214,930 4,020 
			 2002 2,217,260 4,080 
			 2003 2,247,980 4,230 
			 2004 2,256,210 4,340 
			 2005 2,246,460 4,450 
			 2006 2,209,710 4,600 
			 2007 2,180,870 4,670 
			 2008 2,151,910 4,700 
			 2009 2,002,400 4,490 
			  Notes: 1. Incapacity benefit replaced sickness benefit and invalidity benefit from April 1995. 2. Figures for February 1996 to February 1999 are based on 5 per cent. data and have been uprated in line with 100 per cent. WPLS totals. 3. Data for 1996 to 1999 have been rounded to the nearest 100. 4. February 2000 to February 2009 are based on 100 per cent. WPLS data. 5. Data for 2000 to 2009 have been rounded to the nearest 10. 6. This data does not include claimants of employment and support allowance introduced from October 2008. 7. Data from 2000 is published at: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk 8. Includes incapacity benefit credits only cases.  Source: DWP Information Directorate 5 per cent. sample data. DWP Information Directorate 100 per cent. WPLS. 
		
	
	
		
			  Income support claimants 
			   England  North East Cambridgeshire parliamentary constituency 
			  February   
			 1997 1,887,500 2,900 
			 1998 1,868,500 2,800 
			 1999 1,845,500 2,800 
			 2000 1,877,790 3,010 
			 2001 1,890,930 3,090 
			 2002 1,876,410 3,140 
			 2003 1,854,670 3,090 
			 2004 1,848,290 3,080 
			 2005 1,798,210 3,080 
			 2006 1,775,950 3,140 
			 2007 1,780,320 3,330 
			 2008 1,760,260 3,340 
			 2009 1,713,480 3,340 
			  Notes: 1. From October 1996 jobseekers allowance replaced income support for unemployed people, therefore for consistency income support figures prior to this date have not been included. 2. Figures for February 1997 to February 1999 are based on 5 per cent. data and have been uprated in line with 100 per cent. WPLS totals. 3. Data for 1997 to 1999 have been rounded to the nearest 100. 4. February 2000 to February 2009 are based on 100 per cent. WPLS data. 5. Data for 2000 to 2009 have been rounded to the nearest 10. 6. Due to the introduction of pension credit in October 2003, it is standard practice to exclude minimum income guarantee claimants in all figures produced. 7. Data from 2000 is published at: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk  Source: DWP Information Directorate 5 per cent. sample data. DWP Information Directorate 100 per cent. WPLS.

Social Security Benefits

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people claiming  (a) incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance,  (b) jobseekers allowance and  (c) income support have been in receipt of that benefit for (i) between five and nine, (ii) between 10 and 11 and (iii) 12 years or over.

Jim Knight: The available information is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Numbers claiming incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance; jobseekers allowance; or income support, by duration of claim, as at February 2009: Great Britain 
			   Five to nine years  10 to 11 years  12 years and over 
			 All 655,710 117,600 738,330 
			 Incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance 501,310 94,040 649,000 
			 Jobseeker's allowance 3,250 490 390 
			 Other income support 151,150 23,070 112,020 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 and totals may not sum due to rounding. 2. For the purposes of presenting the statistics in this table, benefits are arranged hierarchically and claimants are assigned to the topmost benefit which they receive: (i) Jobseekers AllowanceClaimant of Jobseekers Allowance. (ii) Incapacity BenefitsClaimant of either Incapacity Benefit or Severe Disablement Allowance. (iii) Other Income SupportIncome support claimants who are not also in receipt of Incapacity Benefit or Severe Disablement Allowance.  Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study

Social Security Benefits: Greater London

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have received upfront benefit costs in London since the provision was introduced.

Helen Goodman: To September 2009, 250 individuals in London have received a payment from the Upfront Childcare Fund.
	The Upfront Childcare Fund was trialled in the north and north-east London district (excluding Employment Zone locations) from 28 January 2008. Since April 2008, the Upfront Childcare Fund has been available to qualifying lone parents in the five remaining London districts.

Social Security Benefits: Inverness

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people resident in Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey constituency there were in receipt of each type of benefit in 2008.

Jim Knight: The available information is in the table.
	
		
			  Recipients of benefits in Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey parliamentary constituency by statistical group, November 2008 
			   Number 
			 Jobseeker 1,160 
			 Employment and support allowance and incapacity benefits 4,210 
			 Lone parent 770 
			 Carers allowance 1,060 
			 Others on income-related benefit 3,700 
			 Disabled 3,230 
			 Bereaved 210 
			 Receiving state pension only 12,640 
			 Total 26,970 
			  Notes: 1. Case load figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 3. Some additional disclosure control has also been applied. 4. Case load figures for attendance allowance, carers allowance and disability living allowance include those cases with entitlement but where payment is currently suspended (for example, because of an extended stay in hospital or an overlapping benefit). 5. Statistical group is a hierarchical variable. A person who fits into more than one category will only appear in the top-most one for which they are eligible. For example, a claimant of disability living allowance and jobseekers allowance would appear in Jobseeker, not in Disabled. 6. From November 2008, the incapacity benefits group includes employment and support allowance. Employment and support allowance replaced incapacity benefit and income support paid on the grounds of incapacity for new claims from 27 October 2008. Prior to this, the incapacity benefits group referred to claimants of incapacity benefit (including credits only) or severe disablement allowance including people claiming income support on the grounds of incapacity. 7. These statistics are published at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/tabtool.asp  Source: Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Social Security Benefits: Young People

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many 18 to 21 year-olds in England and Wales received benefits in  (a) 2007,  (b) 2008 and  (c) 2009.

Jim Knight: The available information is in the following tables.
	
		
			  N umber of 18 to 21 year-olds in England and Wales receiving all benefits 
			  February 2007 
			Statistical Group 
			   All  Job Seeker  Incapacity benefits  Lone Parent  Carer  Others on income related benefit  Disabled  Bereaved 
			 England 326,770 153,870 63,750 63,940 5,910 17,570 21,720  
			 Wales 24,140 10,920 5,630 4,520 480 1,040 1,550  
		
	
	
		
			  February 2008 
			Statistical Group 
			   All  Job Seeker  Incapacity benefits  Lone Parent  Carer  Others on income related benefit  Disabled  Bereaved 
			 England 315,010 138,150 63,410 62,780 6,170 19,210 25,290 10 
			 Wales 23,600 10,390 5,480 4,470 510 990 1,750  
		
	
	
		
			  February 2009 
			Statistical Group 
			   All  Job Seeker  Incapacity benefits  Lone Parent  Carer  Others on income related benefit  Disabled  Bereaved 
			 England 413,040 229,400 62,700 64,530 6,810 21,100 28,490  
			 Wales 31,360 17,620 5,500 4,710 570 970 1,990  
			  Notes: 1. Caseloads are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. '' denotes nil or negligible. 3. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 4. Statistical Group is a hierarchical variable. A person who fits into more than one category will only appear in the top-most one for which they are eligible. For example a claimant of Disability Living Allowance and Jobseekers Allowance would appear in Job Seeker, not in Disabled. This is not an exhaustive list of benefits and does not include benefits such as child tax credits etc. only the ones that appear in the following list . Jobseekers: Claimant of Jobseeker's Allowance. Incapacity Benefits are recipients of Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance (also includes Disability Living Allowance cases where the claimant is also in receipt of Employment Support Allowance). Lone Parent: Claimants of Income Support (IS) with a child under 16 and no partner. Carer: Claimants of Carer's Allowance. Other on Income Related Benefit: Claimants of other IS (including IS Disability Premium). Disabled: Claimants of Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance or Industrial Injuries benefits. Bereaved: Claimants of Widow's Benefit, Bereavement Benefit or Industrial Death Benefit. 5. Figures for February 2009 include Employment Support Allowance, which was introduced in October 2008 for new claimants.  Source:  Information Directorate, Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS)

Unemployment Benefits

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many former claimants of jobseekers allowance have moved on to  (a) pension credit,  (b) a training allowance,  (c) the self employment credit and  (d) a Future Jobs Fund job in each month of the last two years.

Jim Knight: Data on people who flow off jobseekers allowance on to pension credit is not collated centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The information requested on people who have flowed off jobseekers allowance on to training allowance in each month of the last two years is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Jobseekers allowance (JSA) claimants who have flowed off JSA on to Government supported training schemes in each month of the past two years 
			   Number 
			  2007  
			 October 14,410 
			 November 14,910 
			 December 19,445 
			   
			  2008  
			 January 8,460 
			 February 23,180 
			 March 16,600 
			 April 13,890 
			 May 15,495 
			 June 19,205 
			 July 16,135 
			 August 18,850 
			 September 14,050 
			 October 15,215 
			 November 19,850 
			 December 16,875 
			   
			  2009  
			 January 9,315 
			 February 24,890 
			 March 19,665 
			 April 20,220 
			 May 22,720 
			 June 20,680 
			 July 21,870 
			 August 18,415 
			 September 12,205 
			  Notes: 1. Data is rounded to the nearest five. 2. This information is published on the Nomis website at: www.nomisweb.co.uk 3. The percentage of people leaving with an unknown destination recorded has increased over the last 10 years. This is because the completion levels of the JSA40 (forms filled in by people leaving JSA) have decreased over this period. This should be taken into account when interpreting these statistics, as many of these unknown leavers will have moved into employment or other benefits.  Source: Count of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus computer systems (computer held cases only). 
		
	
	The information requested on the number of people who have flowed off jobseekers allowance to receive the self-employment credit is shown in the following table. Self-employment credit was introduced from April 2009 and the latest figures available are for July 2009.
	
		
			  2009  Number of people receiving self-employment credit 
			 April 30 
			 May 190 
			 June 460 
			 July 780 
			  Notes: 1. Figures above 10 are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Months are calendar months.  Source: DWP research at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/6month_offer.asp 
		
	
	The information requested on people who have flowed off jobseekers allowance into a Future Jobs Fund job is not available.

Unemployment: Coatbridge

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent steps her Department has taken to reduce levels of unemployment in Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill constituency.

Jim Knight: Jobcentre Plus has recruited 140 new staff in Lanarkshire and East Dunbartonshire district on fixed term appointments to deal with the rising number of customers claiming jobseekers allowance and to support these customers back into work as quickly as possible.
	In addition, we have quadrupled the funds for the Rapid Response Service from £3 million in 2008-09 to £6 million and to £12 million in 2009-10 and 2010-11, extending the service into all areas affected by large scale redundancies or cumulative redundancies.
	Jobcentre Plus offers pre-unemployment assistance and Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) redundancy support. Lanarkshire has been heavily hit by redundancies and there have been numerous companies supported from February 2008 to date, including 16 companies in July and August alone.
	For the newly unemployed, we have significantly increased funding to maintain and increase support through Jobcentre Plus. As well as help and advice to find a new job and access to thousands of vacancies, the newly unemployed now have access to help to meet expenses involved in finding work through the Adviser Discretionary Fund and help to find work through local employment partnerships.
	Everyone reaching six months unemployed from 6 April onwards will receive significant extra support from Jobcentre Plus employment advisers.
	This new package of support will involve extended meetings every four weeks or so to discuss the best strategies for finding work, including access to recruitment subsidies, new training places, volunteering and help to take up self-employment.
	The six-month-unemployed employer subsidy of £1,000 is designed to help improve the job prospects of customers who have been claiming jobseekers allowance for six months or more. All eligible customers in the constituency area are being issued with the employer subsidy voucher to self-market at any interviews they may attend. Employers are being marketed extensively to alert them to the Recruitment Subsidy which, for eligible customers, attracts further funding for training.
	Flexible new deal was launched in Lanarkshire and East Dunbartonshire on 5 October. Flexible new deal is designed to ensure a unified approach for all jobseekers, whatever their age, skills or barriers to work. At the 12 month stage of unemployment customers receive more flexible and personalised help, which is delivered by contracted providers, dependent on customer needs and local labour market requirements.
	The £1 billion Future Jobs Fund, part of the Young Persons Guarantee announced in the Budget, will create new jobs for the long-term unemployed, particularly young adults and those in unemployment hotspots. This initiative will create 150,000 jobs of which 100,000 are targeted at young adults and 50,000 focused on unemployment hotspots.
	While there are no specific bids to the fund for Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill constituency, North Lanarkshire council was successful in a bid that will create 1,080 jobs, of which 390 jobs are being created between October 2009 and March 2010. This includes jobs in Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill constituency. National bids will also create additional jobs in this area.
	In September we announced the Backing Young Britain campaign, £40 million of funding for new internships and work placements for graduates and 10,000 places for non-graduates, a new mentoring network to help young people find their feet in a tough jobs market and more help from day one of unemployment through job clubs and one to one support. Business, charities and public sector employers are being called upon to join the 280 organisations already signed up to the Backing Young Britain campaign.
	There are a wide range of training courses (including part time and evening study) available from Jobcentre Plus, local colleges and other providers. Training will be focussed to meet both the individual's work aspirations and the needs of the local job market.

Unemployment: Coatbridge

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent steps her Department has taken to assist unemployed people seeking work-related training and education in Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill constituency.

Jim Knight: In the Lanarkshire and East Dunbartonshire area we have received 200 applications for help from the Rapid Response Fund to provide additional training and education support by way of skills analysis and job focused training. Of these, 90 people have been helped since April 2009 and we are currently processing the remaining applications.
	In Lanarkshire we expect to have approximately 110-150 vacancies each month in the first six months of the Future Jobs Fund. The Future Jobs Fund is a part of the Young Persons Guarantee and from early 2010, everyone between the ages of 18 and 24 who has been looking for work for a year will get an offer of a job, work experience, or training lasting at least six months. We are currently advertising 136 Future Jobs Fund vacancies across Lanarkshire to 18 to 24-year-olds.
	In addition to helping young people, the Future Jobs Fund can also help in unemployment hotspots. In the first round of bids for Future Jobs Fund, North Lanarkshire council, which covers the constituency area and further, has guaranteed 440 jobs, 90 of which are targeted to unemployment hotspot areas and therefore are open to people in those areas aged 25 plus. Looking ahead to 2011, a further 119 jobs will be made available to unemployment hot spot areas.
	Overall responsibility for adult training in Scotland rests with the Scottish Government and is delivered by Skills Development Scotland is ongoing under Work Focused Training with local colleges and Skills Development Scotland to develop job focused training relevant to the local labour market. Jobcentre Plus in Lanarkshire and East Dunbartonshire has an excellent working relationship with Skills Development Scotland. We work together to ensure that the budget for this operational year is focused on providing the right training to assist our customers to secure employment.
	The Community Taskforce is due for launch early 2010. Tenders to deliver this work will be assessed in November. This will involve 13 week work placements for 18 to 24-year-olds, aimed at enhancing their skills and experience.
	Excellent partnership arrangements have been set up across Lanarkshire through the group Routes to Inclusion. Members of the group include officials from the two local authorities, Jobcentre Plus, local colleges, NHS and Skills Development Scotland. Jobcentre Plus is chair of this group and the agenda is focused on helping people back to work and making the most of funding that is available.

Vacancies: Chelmsford

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many job vacancies were notified to Chelmsford Jobcentre Plus in each of the last six months for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: holding answer 9 November 2009
	The following table shows the number of notified vacancies at the Chelmsford Jobcentre in the six months from April 2009 to September 2009 inclusive. The information covers both the number of live unfilled vacancies, and the number of notified vacancies:
	
		
			   Jobcentre Plus Chelmsford 
			   Live unfilled vacancies  Notified vacancies 
			 April 2009 629 772 
			 May 2009 667 891 
			 June 2009 757 951 
			 July 2009 861 967 
			 August 2009 733 1,128 
			 September 2009 774 894 
			  Note: 1. This information is available in the public domain at: www.nomisweb.co.uk 2. Data are unrounded.  3. Changes to Jobcentre Plus vacancy handling procedures have led to a major discontinuity in the vacancy statistics pre and post May 2006. Consequently, care should be taken in interpreting time-series data.  4. These are not whole economy figures. Coverage relates just to vacancies notified to Jobcentre Plus and as such represent a market share of vacancies throughout the whole economy. This proportion varies over time, according to the occupation of the vacancy and industry of the employer, and by local area. Comprehensive estimates of all job vacancies (not just those notified to Jobcentre Plus) are available from the monthly ONS Vacancy Survey since April 2001, based on a sample of some 6,000 enterprises. However, the ONS survey is currently designed to provide national estimates only.  5. Notified vacanciesuses monthly data on the inflow of newly notified vacancies to Jobcentre Plus.  6. The stocks of live unfilled vacancies reflect more accurately job opportunities available via Jobcentre Plus. In the case of unfilled vacancies, use of the figures on live vacancies is recommended (i.e. excluding suspended vacancies), and this is the default option. Live vacancies may still include some vacancies which have already been filled or are otherwise no longer open.  Source:  Jobcentre Plus Labour Market figures.

Voluntary Work

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the number of people taking up the offer of a volunteering placement under her Departments Six Month Offer in each month since April 2009; how many placements have been completed; and in how many instances no suitable placement was found.

Jim Knight: The information requested on the number of volunteering placements under the six month offer is shown in the following table. The latest figures available are for July 2009. The information requested on the number of placements completed and number of cases where no suitable placements could be found is not available.
	
		
			  Number of people taking up volunteering placements under the six month offer 
			  Month  Number 
			 April 2009 * 
			 May 2009 90 
			 June 2009 369 
			 July 2009 730 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are for Great Britain. 2. Values less than 10 are suppressed and marked with a *. 3. Any figures above 10 are rounded to the nearest 10. 4. Months are calendar months.  Source: DWP research at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/6month_offer.asp

Written Questions: Government Responses

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when she plans to respond to  (a) Question 295491, on funding from the Growth Fund, and  (b) Question 295848, on the Birmingham City Council Jobcentre Plus Partnership, tabled on 21 October 2009 for answer on 26 October 2009.

Jim Knight: holding answer 5 November 2009
	I replied to the hon. Members questions as follows: PQ 295491 on 9 November 2009,  Official Report, column 90W and PQ 295848 on 3 November 2009,  Official Report, columns 822-23W.

Air Passenger Duty: Voluntary Organisations

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has made a recent estimate of the cost to non-governmental organisations and charities employing aid workers overseas of air passenger duty paid on air travel; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: In line with Cabinet Office guidance, HMRC conducted an impact assessment of the new APD banding system and published it on its website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ria/apd-reform-ia.pdf
	The assessment does not look at each individual sector of the economy.
	The Government conducted a 12-week formal consultation from 31 January 2008 on aviation taxation. The responses to the consultation, including non-governmental organisations and charities can be found at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/pbr08_aviationduty_395.pdf

Child Trust Fund: Wales

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in respect of how many children child trust fund payments have been made in  (a) each constituency in Wales and  (b) each council ward in the Vale of Clwyd.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The annual statistical information on Child Trust Fund Accounts including constituency level data can be viewed on HM Revenue and Customs website:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ctf/cons-stats-nov09.pdf
	Information on accounts opened is not held at council ward level.

Christmas

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies have spent on Christmas (i) cards, (ii) parties and (iii) decorations in the last 12 months.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The cost of purchasing cards for Christmas 2008 was £3,799 for the Treasury and £798 for the Debt Management Office. The Treasurys cards were purchased from Card Aid, who made a donation to charity on behalf of the Department.
	Christmas parties are funded by staff and not the Department and Christmas decorations are also either purchased by staff or by facilities management companies without recourse to public funds.

Construction Industry Scheme

Sally Keeble: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the number of people registered with the construction industry scheme who are unemployed.

Stephen Timms: No such estimate has been made.
	The Construction Industry Scheme only applies to those who are self-employed; records are only kept of payments made during their periods of engagement.

Departmental Data Protection

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Departments information assurance procedures have been subject to an independent audit.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: HM Treasurys information assurance procedures were subjected to an independent audit during the spring and early summer of 2009.

Departmental Energy

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) energy rating and  (b) energy band of each building occupied by his Department and its agencies was in each year for which figures are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information requested is available for buildings occupied by HM Treasury and the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) of more than 1,000 square metres from 2008, and for the UK Debt Management Office (DMO) from 2009, as shown in the following table.
	
		
			   2008  2009 
			  Location  Rating  Band  Rating  Band 
			  HM Treasury and OGC 
			 1 Horse Guards Road, London 119 E 125 E 
			 Rosebery Court, Norwich 156 G 146 F 
			  
			  DMO 
			 Eastcheap Court, London   200 G

Departmental Procurement

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what use  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies make of electronic auctions when undertaking procurement exercises.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to page Ev 70 of the Treasury Committees Thirteenth Report of Session 2008-09, Evaluating the Efficiency Programme (HC 520).

Departmental Public Relations

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent on  (a) Ministerial photoshoots and  (b) production of videos in which Ministers appear in the last three years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Treasury has spent £2,543.88 in the last three years on photographs of new Ministers to the Department for the Treasurys website. With regards to production videos in which Ministers appear in the last three years I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 5 November 2009,  Official Report, column 1093, to the hon. Member for Romford (Andrew Rosindell).

Departmental Telephone Services

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) average time to answer a call,  (b) average waiting time for a member of the public during a call,  (c) percentage of calls dropped or not answered and  (d) average length of a call was in call centres run by HM Revenue and Customs in the latest period for which figures are available.

Stephen Timms: The latest period for which figures are available is October 2009. During this period, in HM Revenue and Customs centrally managed network of contact centres, the:
	 (a) average time to answer a call was 37 seconds;
	 (b) average waiting time for a member of the public during a call, that is the time spent on-hold during their conversation, was 15 seconds;
	 (c) percentage of calls not answered was 5.7 per cent. of the total call attempts, as measured by the number of engaged tones and busy messages that were played; and
	 (d) average time to handle a call (including any additional time taken by the adviser to carry out work related to call after it has ended) was six minutes four seconds.

EU Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons an impact assessment was not produced for the implementation of the EU Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: A copy of the Commissions impact assessment on its 30 April 2009 proposals for an Alternative investment Fund Managers Directive was deposited in both Houses on 6 May 2009.
	The FSA published the impact assessment that it commissioned on 15 October 2009.
	The European Parliament published the Quick impact assessment it commissioned on 10 November 2009.

Gift Aid

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer at what rate individuals paying the 50 per cent. income tax rate, who donate to charities, will be eligible to claim back via gift aid.

Ian Pearson: The amount an individual is eligible to claim back following a qualifying gift aid donation will depend on the amount donated, and is relieved at the donors marginal rate of tax. So an individual who would pay tax at 50 per cent. would be able to claim back an amount up to the difference between this higher rate of tax and the basic rate of tax, depending on the total value of the donation.

HM Revenue and Customs

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment has been made of the level of failure demand in call centres run by HM Revenue and Customs.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not specifically use the term or measure failure demand within its call centres.

Job Creation

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the number of full-time equivalent net jobs which have been created due to Government's stimulus measures; and over what period of time these jobs have been created.

Liam Byrne: On 4 November 2009, HM Treasury published a paper setting out the estimated effect on employment of discretionary economic stimulus put in place since November 2008see Employment impact of Government interventions:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/foi_economic_stimulus.htm

Personal Income

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average income was in  (a) Vale of Clwyd and  (b) each region in each of the last 20 years.

Stephen Timms: Information on income by parliamentary constituency is only available for taxpayers. The mean income of taxpayers in the Vale of Clwyd for 2002-03 to 2006-07 can be found in table 3.15 Income and tax by Parliamentary Constituency and for the regions of the UK for 1999-2000 to 2006-07 in table 3.13 Income and tax by county and region available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_distribution/menu-by-year.htm
	The estimates shown in the tables are based on the Survey of Personal Incomes of which 2006-07 is the latest available.
	Estimates of mean income of taxpayers by parliamentary constituency for earlier years are not available as the sample size of the survey was too small to give reliable results. However the mean income of taxpayers by region for earlier years is either shown, or can be derived from information shown, in Inland Revenue Statistics, copies of which are in the Library.

Research and Development Tax Credits Scheme

Paul Keetch: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes there have been in the application of the rules for the Research and Development Tax Credits Scheme in the last 18 months; and if he will make a statement

Ian Pearson: On 14 November 2008, in Revenue and Customs Brief 55/08, HMRC announced a change of practice, effective from 1 December 2008, in relation to the research and development (R and D) tax relief schemes, where a company loses its status as a small or medium enterprise as a result of a merger or takeover. HMRC is also currently updating guidance on the R and D tax relief schemes in the Corporate Intangibles and Research and Development manual, including to explain that certain expenditure on Qualifying Indirect Activities may be included in claims.

Revenue and Customs: Repayment

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for the Vale of York of 27 October 2009,  Official Report, column 275W, on Revenue and Customs: repayment, how much  (a) capital and  (b) interest has been paid by HM Revenue and Customs on sums it has collected in error in each of the last three years.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is available only at disproportionate cost, as HM Revenue and Customs systems do not routinely record the reasons for repayments.

Tax Collection

John Hemming: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer within what timescale HM Revenue and Customs is expected to have recovered outstanding liabilities for  (a) value added tax and  (b) other taxes.

Stephen Timms: The dates on which payments of VAT and other taxes are due are set out in statute. The Government expect that all tax due will be paid in full and on time. If individuals or businesses are unable to pay on time they should contact HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) as soon as possible. The sooner do so the sooner the Department can begin working with them to find a solution. For example, depending on the specific circumstances a Time to Pay arrangement may be appropriate, allowing payment to be scheduled over a period the taxpayer can afford.
	Further information is available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/payinghmrc/problems/index.htm
	HMRC vigorously pursues all those who won't pay when they have the means to do so or who otherwise try to cheat the system. All those who do not pay or fail to engage with HMRC face the prospect of legal enforcement action.

Tax Collection

Damian Green: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many individuals received retrospective tax demands as a result of the  (a) Finance Act 1987 and  (b) Finance Act 2008.

Stephen Timms: On the assumption that the question concerns s62 of the Finance (No2) Act 1987 and s58 of the Finance Act 2008, I can confirm that both sections were introduced to prevent abuse of the United Kingdoms double tax treaties. S58 of the Finance Act 2008 was introduced to deal with a particularly aggressive and widely used avoidance scheme by which an estimated 3,000 users have collectively attempted to avoid more than £200 million of UK tax. There are no figures available in relation to s62 of the Finance (No2) Act 1987.

Thalidomide Trust

Mark Durkan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Government received a request from the Thalidomide Trust in 1996 for the granting of tax rebates for victims of thalidomide receiving payments as a result of a covenant agreement between the Thalidomide Trust and Guinness.

Stephen Timms: The Government received a request in 1996 for additional funding on the basis of tax that had been paid by the trust.
	The Government agreed to make a final once and for all payment of £7 million in 1996 in recognition of the unique and tragic circumstances which surround the Thalidomide disaster. However, the Government made clear that this payment was not made to offset the tax paid by the trust.

Welfare Tax Credits: Selby

John Grogan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families were in receipt of working families tax credit in Selby constituency on the latest date for which information is available.

Stephen Timms: Working families tax credit was replaced by child tax credit and working tax credit in April 2003.
	The latest information on the number of recipient families of child and working tax credits, by parliamentary constituency, is provided in the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) snapshot publication, Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics Geographical Analyses April 2009, available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm
	HMRC do not produce these statistics separately for child tax credit and working tax credit.

Advantage West Midlands

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect on the economy of projects in Herefordshire undertaken by Advantage West Midlands in 2009.

Rosie Winterton: Advantage West Midlands (AWM) has made a number of interventions to support the economy of Herefordshire in the short, medium and longer terms. The investment by AWM in land and property projects in Herefordshire to date has been £34 million, which is expected to generate about £476 million GVA over 10-years. Its investment in market towns and similar activity in the area over the last three years has been £5.2 million, which is expected to generate about £20 million GVA over three years. The impact of initiatives in a particular year is hard to assess since it takes time for projects realise their full effect. However based on these overall figures, AWM's support is expected to generate an additional £54 million GVA for the Herefordshire economy in 2009.
	Examples of investment activity in Herefordshire include:
	Supporting a comprehensive programme of employment land supply across the county including Leominster Enterprise Park; Rotherwas Industrial Estate; the development of Model Farm at Ross on Wye, and employment land at Tenbury, just outside the northern boundary of the county.
	Supporting the Edgar Street Grid initiative with a £20 million investment to provide infrastructure to enable the redevelopment of this 40 hectare area just north of Hereford city centre. This is expected to deliver 1,400 net new jobs and 1,000 new homes.
	Supporting interventions that provide an immediate benefit to counter the impact of the recession including tailored support to the retail secto; further support to the Wheels to Work initiative to enable people to access work or training; support to Citizens Advice Bureaux; and funds to support events and festivals during the summer of 2009.
	Funding for the Rural Regeneration Zone, which provides tailored support to business, communities and social enterprises, reflecting the unique character of Herefordshire.
	Advantage West Midlands would be delighted to brief the Member for Leominster on the full scope of its past, current and planned activities in Herefordshire.

Business: Government Assistance

Theresa May: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department has allocated additional funding to  (a) Business Link,  (b) Flexible Support for Business and  (c) Business Gateway and Training for Work to provide the self-employment support available under the six month offer.

Rosie Winterton: The Department for Business Innovation and Skills has not provided any additional funding to Business Link for support under the six month offer. However, it is distributing funds provided by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for Business Link providers in England, to increase the amount of support available to people participating in the six month offer that need intensive start up support.
	DWP have also provided funds to the Devolved Administrations for the same purpose. These funds are not being distributed by this Department.

Business: Government Assistance

Mark Prisk: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  how much was spent in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09 on the Improving Your Resource Efficiency Scheme; and how many businesses received assistance from the scheme in each of these years;
	(2)  how much was spent in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09 on the Improving Your Resource Efficiency Scheme; and how many businesses received assistance from the scheme in each of these years.

Dan Norris: I have been asked to reply.
	Improving your resource efficiency was not operational during the period 2007-08. Expenditure on improving your resource efficiency is split across central Government and regional development agencies. Actual expenditure in the period 2008-09, including expenditure by regional development agencies is currently being collated by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. The number of business assists given by improving your resource efficiency in 2008/09 was 184,585.

Departmental Billing

Michael Weir: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what percentage of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in  (a) September and  (b) October 2009.

Ian Lucas: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills paid 95.5 per cent. of invoices within ten days in September and 96.5 per cent. of invoices within ten days in October. The value of invoices paid within ten days in September and October totalled over £2.9 billion.

Departmental Internet

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the cost was of maintaining his Department's website in 2008-09; and what forecast he has made of the cost of maintaining these websites for which his Department is responsible in 2009-10.

Patrick McFadden: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) was formed on 5 June by the merger of the former Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS).
	The costs of maintaining the BERR website (www.berr. gov.uk) in 2008/09 were:
	
		
			   £ 
			 Strategy and planningsite content mapping and analysis 34,995 
			 Design and build 272,811 
			 Hosting and infrastructure (including licensing and technical support for Content Management System) 286,183 
			 Testing and evaluation 39,186 
			 Total 633,175 
		
	
	The costs of maintaining the DIUS website (www.dius.gov.uk) from July 2008 to June 2009 were:
	
		
			   £ 
			 Development 106,471 
			 Design 105,443 
			 Changes 81,000 
			 Hosting (including domain registration and licensing) 334,600 
			 Co-location 22,000 
			 Total 649,514 
		
	
	Since the creation of BIS, three websites are being operated: a new interim BIS site (while a new website is being developed) and the websites for the former BERR and the former DIUS.
	Spend to date on maintaining the BIS website (www.bis.gov.uk) is:
	
		
			   £ 
			 Website design 16,158 
			 Hosting setup 1,160 
			 Hosting (monthly charge) 449 
		
	
	Spend to date on maintaining the former BERR website (www.berr.gov.uk) is:
	
		
			   £ 
			 Strategy and planning n/a 
			 Design and build 1,922.50 
			 Hosting and infrastructure (including licensing and technical support for Content Management System) 295,779 
			 Testing and evaluation 11,570 
			 Total 309,271.50 
		
	
	Spend to date on maintaining the former DIUS website (www.dius.gov.uk) is:
	DIUS hosting cost (for April 2009 to November 2009): £62,278.24.

Employment: Environment Protection

Greg Hands: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what sectors are included in his Departments definition of green jobs.

Ian Lucas: In 2007-08 there were an estimated 880,000 jobs in the UK Low Carbon and Environmental Goods and Services Sector (LCEGS). This is based on a report by Innovas, which was commissioned by Government. The estimate covers not only traditional environmental goods and service sectors and renewable energy technologies, but also emerging low-carbon areas such as carbon finance, alternative fuels, building technologies and energy management. This deliberately broad definition encompasses the far reaching nature of the sector and includes the associated supply chain activity.
	But we need to remember that essentially we need all jobs to be green jobs. Ambitious carbon reduction targets will require a transition to low carbon for the whole economy. This will affect businesses and workers across the entire British economy, not just the LCEGS sector.

Further Education: Higher Education

Stephen Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what his most recent estimate is of the proportion of students who complete a higher education qualification at a further education college who take up  (a) further study and  (b) employment.

David Lammy: Information on the destinations of students completing a Higher Education qualification in a further education college is not held centrally.

GCSE and GCE A-Level: Young Offenders

Robert Wilson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 27 October 2009,  Official Report, column 342W, on GCSE and GCE A-level: young offenders, how many of the enrolments for  (a) GCSE and  (b) GCE A-level examinations related to offenders aged (i) 15 to 21, (ii) 22 to 30, (iii) 31 to 40, (iv) 41 to 50 and (v) over 50 years.

Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
	For the most recent academic year for which data are available, the number of enrolments on GCSE and GCE A/AS/A2 level by offenders in the secure estate by age range is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Table 1 
			  England 
			   Number of enrolments in 2007/08 academic year 
			  Age groups  GCSE  GCE A/AS/A2 level  Grand total 
			 15 to 21 373 66 439 
			 22 to 30 323 60 383 
			 31 to 40 189 46 235 
			 41 to 50 117 38 155 
			 Over 50 years 191 54 245 
			 Unknown 1  1 
			 Total 1,194 264 1,458 
			  Source:  2007/08 F05 ILR

Higher Education

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many higher education students have been studying in further education colleges in each of the last 10 years.

David Lammy: The latest information is provided in the table. Final figures for 2007/08 and provisional figures for 2008/09 will be available in January.
	
		
			  Higher education enrolments( 1)  English further education collegesAcademic years 2002/03 to2007/08 
			  Academic year  Enrolments 
			 2002/03 139,215 
			 2003/04 143,065 
			 2004/05 140,490 
			 2005/06 138,305 
			 2006/07 130,235 
			 2007/08(2) 122,145 
			 (1) Includes postgraduate and undergraduate students of all domiciles enrolled on full-time and part-time courses. (2) Figures for the 2007/08 academic year are provisional.  Notes: 1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest five. 2. Figures cover students who are funded by the Learning and Skills Council at level 4 and above.  Source: Learning and Skills Council's Individualised Learning Record (F04 and F05).

Higher Education: Finance

Stephen Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of the Strategic Investment Fund he plans to allocate to skills training and higher education.

Kevin Brennan: The Strategic Investment Fund is helping to deliver the Government's strategy as set in the Building Britain's Future - New Industry, New Job's framework document, published on 20 April, and will allow Government to support advanced industrial projects of strategic importance to the UK's economic renewal and growth.
	While there are no plans to allocate money specifically to skills training and higher education, details of the projects where funding has already been allocated are set out in an interim report on the SIF which was published in October. Copies are available in the Libraries of the House.

Higher Education: Per Capita Costs

Stephen Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what his most recent estimate is of the cost per student of a course leading to a higher education qualification in  (a) a university and  (b) a further education college.

David Lammy: Estimates of the cost per student of a course leading to a higher education qualification are not available separately by whether a student attends a university or further education college.
	The 2009 DIUS annual report provided a provisional estimate of expenditure per full-time equivalent student for the financial year 2007-08 across all types of institution. The average departmental expenditure per student per year was estimated to be £6,215, and was composed of teaching grant, research grant and student support expenditure.
	This estimate relates to home and EU domiciled students studying for a higher education qualification in England, some of whom were not HEFCE fundable or eligible for student support.

Job Creation: Young People

Greg Hands: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many new jobs for young people his Department expects to be created in each of the next five years.

Ian Lucas: Ultimately it is successful businesses that create jobs. Governments focus is to drive sustainable economic growth, which in turn can foster the business success that will generate the jobs of the future.
	The Government have also invested nearly £5 billion since November 2008 to help those on out-of-work benefits take up the jobs created by businesses. This includes a substantial package of education, training and employment measures for young people.
	This help includes the Future Jobs Fund which is funded until March 2011 and it will create at least 100,000 jobs for young people in this time.

Manufacturing Industries: West Midlands

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what incentives are available to manufacturers in the West Midlands to use recycled materials.

Rosie Winterton: A range of advice and support is available to assist firms in the West Midlands seeking to reduce waste and save money through recycling. The Manufacturing Advisory Service in the West Midlands (MAS-WM) and Business Link West Midlands (BL-WM) provide support to businesses to help them improve their efficiency. This can include work to improve processes to reduce or eliminate the creation of waste or to reduce costs through the use of recycled materials. MAS-WM and BL-WM also work with the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and the National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP) and encourage firms to use their services.
	WRAP delivers funding and business development services to recycling firms in the West Midlands as part of an AWM (Regional Development Agency) funded support programme worth £5 million.
	NISP, now supported by DEFRA, brings together companies which produce waste with other companies which can use that waste as raw materials. This assists both companies, saving the waste producer the cost of disposal and providing the waste user with materials at a lower cost than if they had used virgin raw materials. NISP has:
	1. Saved 5.2 million tonnes of waste going to landfill
	2. Eliminated 357,000 tonnes of hazardous waste
	3. Save the use of 7.9 million tonnes of virgin material
	4. Saved 9.4 million tonnes of water
	5. Prevented 5.2 million tonnes of carbon emissions
	6. Attracted £116 million of private sector investment

Monitor Group

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether any Minister or official in his Department and its predecessors has had  (a) meetings,  (b) communications and  (c) other contacts with the Monitor Group in the last five years.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 26 October 2009
	According to departmental records there has been infrequent contact between the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (and its previously named Departments) and the Monitor Group, whose headquarters are based in Cambridge, Massachusetts
	The Department's main contact with the Monitor Group has been with the Foresight Horizon Scanning Centre, an initiative operated within the Government Office for Science (formerly the Office of Science and Technology within the Department of Trade and Industry).
	On 3 March 2005 the Horizon Scanning Centre issued an invitation to tender to a number of organisations, including Monitor Group Europe, for a project seeking research and other support to write the Sigma Scan: a collection of papers looking forward at emerging trends, potential new issues, opportunities and threats, and the possible implications.
	On 15 March 2005, Monitor Group Europe wrote to the Department indicating they did not wish to proceed to tender.
	In addition, a Director of the Foresight programme (of which the Horizon Scanning Centre is part), Professor Sandy Thomas, met a representative of the Monitor Group, in 2008, for an introductory meeting about Foresight's plans to develop a new communications strategy. However, no further meetings were held, and Monitor was not subsequently involved in development of the strategy.
	The Department received a letter from the Monitor Group in 2005 relating to a general inquiry on the allocation of funding in the education sector and a request in 2008 from the Group's Munich office for information on the UK building sector.
	We have no records of any Minister meeting with the Monitor Group on departmental business.

National Federation of Sub Postmasters: Finance

Greg Hands: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding Royal Mail has contributed to the National Federation of Sub Postmasters in  (a) 2006-07,  (b) 2007-08 and  (c) 2008-09.

Patrick McFadden: The Department does not hold the information requested. I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of Post Office Ltd, to respond directly to the hon. Member and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Post Offices: Bank Services

Greg Hands: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to enable the Post Office to provide banking services.

Patrick McFadden: The Post Office already provides a wide range of banking servicesincluding savings, lending, insurance, and foreign exchange. The Prime Minister recently announced that he wanted:
	the Post Office to play a much bigger role, bringing banking services back to the heart of peoples communities.
	The Government will be taking this forward, in the first instance, by launching a full national public consultation, asking people what banking services they want from the Post Office.

Redundancy: Leeds

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what representations he has received on the rate of staff  (a) voluntary and involuntary redundancies and  (b) dismissals at each university in Leeds in each of the last five years.

David Lammy: We have received no representations on this matter. However, as we made clear in Higher Ambitions, published on 3 November, Government will not become involved in decisions about staffing matters made by universities.

Royal Mail

Greg Hands: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many commercial customers Royal Mail has had in  (a) each of the last six financial years and  (b) in 2009-10 to date.

Patrick McFadden: The Department does not hold the information requested. I have therefore asked Adam Crozier, Chief Executive of Royal Mail, to respond directly to the hon. Member and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Libraries.

Small Businesses: Sussex

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what support his Department is providing to small and medium-sized businesses in  (a) Mid Sussex constituency and  (b) West Sussex.

Rosie Winterton: SEEDA provides a full range of business support services to small and medium sized businesses across West Sussex. The support falls into two broad categories:
	1. Business supportprimarily through Business Link, Manufacturing Advisory Service, Continuous Employment Support Service, and financial assistance delivered through Finance South East.
	2. Strategic Business Development and Engagementcomprising of the West Sussex Sub Regional Partnership and the Gatwick Diamond Initiative.
	SEEDA recognise East and West Sussex as individual counties. Mid Sussex is one of seven local district authorities which comprise West Sussex. SEEDA do not break down their data into districts and would only be able to separate information on Mid Sussex by carrying out a manual trawl of all the data provided.
	Mid Sussex is one of the six district and borough authorities which makes up the Gatwick Diamond for Investment and Growth.
	 1. Direct support to businesses in West Sussex most of which is available to all businesses across the South East
	 Business Link
	Business Link provides business support and advice for all individuals and businesses already trading or thinking of starting. Benefits include:
	Free business health checks, including maximising cash flow, marketing and business planning, debt management, new market and product development.
	Access to finance advice, credit crunch presentations and finance clinics.
	Guidance and events on how to survive and thrive in difficult times, including advice on reducing energy consumption and costs.
	Access to the SEEDA funded resource efficiency programme.
	Access to advice and signposting to skills and training opportunities through the Train to Gain service.
	Analysis and information on new business opportunities and markets.
	 Business Link Sussex
	SEEDA has invested circa £4,490,000 annually to Business Link Sussex.
	Health checks were introduced on 23 October 2008 and are reported on a monthly, cumulative basis. Since that date Business Link Sussex has completed 2,713 health checks across Sussex.
	Further figures provided by Business Link Sussex (measured by key performance indicators) show that the number of customers assisted has increased as have the number of intensively assisted customers.
	Satisfaction in the service provided by Business Link Sussex has risen by nearly 5 per cent. over a three-year period
	
		
			  Key performance indicator  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Total number of customers assisted 25,315 24,661 27,157 
			 Number of intensively assisted customers 3,145 3,068 3,814 
			 Customer satisfaction (percentage total satisfied) 86 84 90.92 
		
	
	 Innovation and growth teamGatwick Diamond/ West Sussex
	SEEDA will be investing £2.6 million over three years to the innovation and growth team who will be responsible for creating communities of innovation and growth and delivering specialist services to businesses that have potential for significant growth. Strong partnerships, including the universities of Chichester, Brighton and Surrey, have developed across West Sussex and the Gatwick Diamond. A business plan is being finalised and the innovation and growth team will be operational from 1( )January 2010.
	 Investor development manager (IDM)
	SEEDA funds an investor development manager (IDM), Chris Chapman, who works with strategically important companies across all of West Sussex. The investor development managers objective is to retain and develop these companies, identifying and helping to resolve any barriers to growth. In the last six years, the investor development manager has made nearly 800 company visits to West Sussex businesses. It is estimated that over 2,500 jobs have been gained or saved as a result of this intervention. Referrals have covered a range of topics including:
	Planning/premises.
	Training and work force development.
	Access to a range of Government Departments.
	Innovation and sustainability programmes.
	 Continuous Employment Support Service (CESS)
	 Between April and June 2009 CESS has helped 10 companies and 664 staff across the whole of Sussex Between July 2009 and September 2009 CESS helped seven companies and 405 staff in West Sussex
	Companies thinking about making staff redundant or undertaking a redundancy programme can access the free Continuing Employment Support Service run by Jobcentre Plus in partnership with SEEDA. CESS offers a free in-house package of support to all affected workers before they leave their employment, offering tailored advice on future options.
	 Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS)
	 Since January 2009, 70 companies have been assisted through the Manufacturing Advisory Service
	MAS South East aims to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of manufacturers in the region to create sustainable improvements. Businesses can access hands-on advice and tailored support from experts to suit the individual requirements of their business to produce real results.
	 Inward investment
	 From April 2007 to April 2009, SEEDA has successfully located six companies into West Sussex
	SEEDA has an inward investment team who aim to attract business from other countries to locate in the South East.
	 Rural
	SEEDA manages £60 million Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) EU Programme (previously termed ERDP). Of this budget, £1,952,647 has been invested into businesses in West Sussex since 18 January 2008.
	In addition, the rural Leader programme for West Sussex (Sussex and Low Weald) has provided £2.5 million. This wholly EU funded programme is aimed at farmers and forestry diversification with a strong element of community projects.
	 Grants for research and development
	There have been four grants for research and development in West Sussex between 2007-09 totalling £1,126,419
	The grants for research and development, now managed by Finance South East are focused on encouraging businesses to carry out projects that they would not necessarily undertake without the grant and lever in to these projects finance from reluctant private investment sources
	 Finance South East (FSE) accelerator fund
	 One company in West Sussex has been offered the accelerator fund totalling £100,000
	The accelerator fund is a loan fund which supports small and medium sized companies in the South East with the potential for significant growth (early stage or established companies). It is a response to the needs of entrepreneurial businesses who require the level of growth investment provided by risk capital, but which are reluctant to relinquish an equity stake in the company at an early stage.
	 Transition Loan Fund
	 One company has been offered the Transition Loan Fund totalling £150,000
	SEEDA is providing up to £3 million in a new regional transition fund known as the Bridging Mezzanine Debt Fund to be directed at folly established, viable and growing businesses that are currently facing difficulties in obtaining credit through banks and other traditional routes.
	Funding is provided at commercial rates for these unsecured loans, and interest is rolled up and paid at maturity, thereby making the fund attractive to some businesses urgently needing to address liquidity problems.
	 2. Strategic business development and engagement
	 West Sussex Sub Regional Partnership
	SEEDA provides funding to West Sussex county council which as the accountable body for the West Sussex Economic Skills and Enterprise Board (ESEB). The aim of the ESEB is to bring together key organisations and business representatives to establish shared objectives and priorities to improve the economic well being of West Sussex. The ESEB was set in the context of the developing sub regional partnerships covering Gatwick Diamond, Rural West Sussex and Coastal West Sussex.
	Each of these sub regional partnerships is different reflecting the local issues and key stakeholder perspectives. Each has its own governance structure, strategies and action plans. SEEDA is a key partner in all of these partnerships.
	West Sussex Sub Regional Partnership specifically:
	Works to align regional and local economic strategy to benefit businesses and local stakeholders across West Sussex.
	Understands employer issues across West Sussex and makes regional partners aware of these issues and challenges.
	Engages with businesses across West Sussex and ensure business needs are reflected in sub regional strategies and emerging actions.
	 Gatwick Diamond
	The Gatwick Diamond Initiative (GDI) is a business led private/public sector joint venture managed by Surrey Economic Partnership and West Sussex Economic Partnership, supported by businesses, SEEDA, local authorities, LSC, Business Link and higher and further education providers to facilitate and co-ordinate actions that will improve the economic performance of the area.
	Through the West Sussex Economic Skills and Enterprise Board, SEEDA is providing capacity and operational funding of £100,000 to the Gatwick Diamond Initiative which is matched by local authorities. SEEDA has also funded key studies to benchmark the sub region internationally and a demand study to support proposals for the university centre in Crawley.
	The new governance arrangements have been agreed by both the public and private sector. The main board is business-led and SEEDA are well represented across all levels of the new structure.
	A strong working relationship continues to develop between Gatwick airport and SEEDA as the airport moves to divest itself from BAA and progresses the sale of the airport. SEEDA is working closely with the airport management team to ensure that airport continues to play a full role in the economic development opportunities of the Gatwick Diamond.
	The university of Brighton, in partnership with SEEDA, Crawley borough council and Central Sussex college are taking a lead role in the creation of a university centre in Crawley that will support educational attainment and progression across the Gatwick Diamond.
	SEEDA recognise East and West Sussex as individual counties. Mid Sussex is one of seven local district authorities which comprise West Sussex. SEEDA do not break down their data into districts and would only be able to separate information on Mid Sussex by carrying out a manual trawl of all the data provided.
	Mid Sussex is one of the six district and borough authorities which makes up the Gatwick Diamond for Investment and Growth.

Technology Strategy Board

Mark Oaten: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills which applicants have received funding from the Technology Strategy Board's £72 million spending on innovative research and development announced in October 2008.

David Lammy: The £72 million spending is being delivered through nine specific areas, as follows:
	 Phase 1, opening 10 November 2008
	Photonics: Next Generation Optical Internet Access (1st round)
	Advanced Materials: Sustainable Materials and Products
	Intelligent Transport Systems and Services: Informed Personal Travel
	 Phase 2, opening 19 January 2009
	High Value Manufacturing: Step Changes in Competitiveness; Value Systems
	Energy Generation and Supply: Maximising Recovery of UK's Oil and Gas
	ResourcesPhotonics: Next Generation Optical Internet Access (2nd round)
	Low Impact Buildings: Design and Decision Tools
	 Phase 3, opening 16 March 2009
	Creative Industries: Accessing and Commercialising Content in a Digitally Networked World
	Energy Generation and Supply: Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Technologies
	Network Security: Interdependency, Complexity and Risk.
	The Low Impact Buildings: Design and Decision Tools competition (in Phase 2) was delayed until June 2009 and is currently at assessment stage. For the other competition areas, the applicants that have received offers of grant funding will be placed in the Libraries of the House.